Tales of Symphonia The Aftermath of Yggdrasil
by Ricky Leingod
Summary: It has been nearly a year since Mithos Yggdrasil was defeated and his plans brought to a halt. It was thought that after Lloyd and the others defeated him and revived the Giant Tree known as Yggdrasil, that it was the end of it. However, something else lu
1. Prologue

**Tales of Symphonia: The Aftermath of Yggdrasil Prologue**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Tales of Symphonia nor the characters or places in it. They are the property of their respective compaines, Namco Inc. and the like.**

_It has been nearly a year since Mithos Yggdrasil was defeated and his plans brought to a halt. It was thought that after Lloyd and the others defeated him and revived the Giant Tree (known as Yggdrasil), that it was the end of it. However, something else lurked in the darkness, waiting for Mithos' downfall to occur. Now with Mithos gone, this new threat has seen it fit to begin his reign of terror. Only Lloyd and the others stand in his way, but they will not be able to do it alone. For this, they will need the help of a new friend, who seems to have all too familiar powers._

The boy sat on the edge of the balcony overlooking the forest. His short brown hair had grown a little longer in the past ten months, but not much else had changed. Well, at least if you don't count the fact that he and Colette were now living in the same home.

"Lloyd, come on down! Lunch is almost ready!" she called up to him. Colette Brunell looked the same as she did nearly a year ago, except that her hair was always worn in a ponytail these days. She walked back over to the stove and turned the small pieces of beef over in the frying pan. She sighed and pushed back strands of her golden blonde hair.

"I've said it before, but I'll say it again Colette. You're in love." a man's voice said, drifting in from outside. His once blonde hair was now showing strands of gray, and Frank Brunell thought nothing of it. He walked in the house, hanging up his jacket and hat on the wooden stand by the door. "Something smells good. You cooking for Lloyd again?" he asked.

Colette's face became visibly red, and she was unsuccessful in hiding it. "Well um, I…you see…" she stuttered.

Frank laughed at his daughter's embarrassment, and sat down at the table. "I would say that about tells me enough. You DO love him, don't you?" he asked. He was being very serious, and if Frank Brunell was serious, you'd better not crack any unwanted jokes.

Colette went even redder, but nodded. She turned back to finishing up the lunch as she talked. "Of course I do father. But I just can't help but wonder if he feels the same way. And I'm too shy to ask him." she said, putting the meat onto small plates and carrying them to the table.

"I'd say he feels the exact same way about you Colette." a voice said, and she felt lips on her cheek, then saw Lloyd moving to take the chair next to Colette's. His face was just as red as hers, but he wasn't going to say that. He grinned at her as he looked at her, blushing red in her cute apron. "Come sit next to me Colette." he said, smiling.

"Oh Lloyd, I'm so happy!" she said happily, taking off her apron and sitting next to Lloyd. All of her emotions were swimming inside of her at once. She stopped over and kissed his cheek, then began to eat her lunch.

Frank made a sound that was easily recognized as someone who found food delicious. "This is very good Colette. You've gotten better at cooking since you and Lloyd came back. Though I have to admit, I was a little unsure of you and Lloyd living here together." he said, smiling wryly at the pair.

Lloyd chuckled as he grasped Colette's hand in his. "Yeah, I remember when I asked you about that. You looked like someone had ripped the roof off of your house." he said, laughing still at the memory. Lloyd could remember that Frank accepted that, but wouldn't talk to Lloyd for days afterwards, and then only at Colette's insistence.

Frank smiled, and took a bite of the steak. "Yes, that's true. But if it wasn't for Colette pleading with me, I probably still wouldn't be." he said, grinning back.

"Oh Father, stop it." Colette teased, smiling at the two. She was as happy as could be right now.

All of a sudden there was a knock at the door, and Lloyd stood up. He walked over and opened the door. "Genis, Professor! This is a pleasant surprise!" he said happily.

Lloyd moved the door back some, and Genis and Raine Sage stepped inside. Genis had grown a couple inches the past year, but pretty much maintained the same look. Raine was pretty much the same, right down to her 'Ruin Mode'.

Raine walked over and hugged Colette, who had stood up to greet their guests. "It's good to see you Colette. How are you doing?" Raine asked.

Genis and Lloyd were busy arguing about something, and it became clear as to what when they heard Lloyd. "Yes I told her you dummy! And I know it's taken me awhile to do it. Give me a break Genis!" Lloyd said.

"Well it's about time! Like you said, it HAS taken you long enough to tell Colette how you feel." he said, looking at the others in the room.

Frank did not want to intrude, so he stood up. "I've got some gardening to finish, so I'll be going. Good day to you Genis, Raine." he said. He put his jacket and hat back on, and went outside to the small garden he kept.

Genis and Raine took the empty seats left at the table. Genis was still grinning broadly.

"So, how long have you and Colette lived together?" Raine asked of Lloyd.

Lloyd's face went bright red, but he composed himself quickly. "Almost a year actually, Professor. It wasn't long after we came back that I asked Frank if it was acceptable. You can imagine the look on his face." Lloyd said, fighting back a grin.

"I can imagine. You were probably cowering in a corner Lloyd!" Genis said, laughing.

"Shut it Genis! Lloyd's brave and really nice too. He's done a lot to help out around here." Colette said in Lloyd's defense.

"I didn't expect to hear that from you Colette. I guess it proves people can change." a voice said. Everyone looked to the doorway and saw a man in a rather ruffled looking suit. His blue hair was still tied back near the bottom as usual. He wasn't wearing the handcuffs anymore, and he looked quite healthy too. Regal Bryant wasn't alone however, as a young girl stepped in the doorway after him. Presea Combatir looked a little older, and her bright pink hair was flowing down her back. She had apparently abandoned the use of a ponytail. She wore a light blue shirt and dark blue jeans as her ensemble.

"Regal, Presea! It's good to see you again." Genis said, jumping up from his seat and hugging Presea, then shaking Regal's hand. Presea appeared a bit flustered, but was able to hide that. "It is good to see all of you again too. I trust you are well?" she said, and her voice was much livelier than it had been when they all first met.

"Regal, how's it going buddy?" Lloyd said, shaking his hand and offering him a chair.

After everyone was seated, they began to talk about the old days, of their journey together. It seemed Raine and Genis were making impressive progress towards the acceptance of half-elves. It would seem that nearly the entire region around Iselia had accepted the fact that half-elves were a part of society. They had come back to take a break before heading on to Palmacosta. Regal's company was still going strong, and had already helped rebuild and improve on Palmacosta after its destruction. Presea had stayed with Regal and helped him with his projects. She still found time to visit Alicia's grave now and then.

"Where are Zelos and Sheena? I thought they'd be here by now." Regal asked.

Colette shook her head. "I don't know where they could've gotten too. I know Sheena's been busy helping the people of Mizuho adapt, but we haven't heard anything about Zelos." she said.

Lloyd chuckled and shook his head. "He's probably off hitting on every girl he can find now." he said, laughing.

Everyone looked at him for a moment, and then laughed along with him. "Now that isn't very nice Lloyd. Is that how you think of me after all we've been through together buddy?" a voice said in mock hurt. Everyone turned to look in the doorway, and there stood Zelos. His once long red hair appeared to have been cut short a little. He wasn't wearing the same ensemble, but the color was the same. After more handshakes and hugs were exchanged, he took a seat at the table.

"So, things have been going well I hear. Nice work with Palmacosta Regal." he said, inclining his head to the man.

"Thank you. It's been a little tough, but we've been making real progress." Regal replied. He turned to Genis and Raine. "So, how hard was it to help everyone change their minds about half-elves?" he asked the siblings.

Raine shook her head. "It hasn't been easy, let me tell you. Some people didn't even want us to speak, even after their leaders had agreed to let us." she said solemnly.

"But after we talked for a good while, they came around. It's not hard to see our point when you look at how much half-elves have done since Mithos' defeat to make up for their past misdeeds." Genis piped up.

"So what about you and Colette? I hear you two have been getting really cozy here Lloyd." Zelos said, grinning broadly.

Lloyd went red, but stood his ground. "Shut it Zelos!" he said, then burst out laughing.

"Lloyd and I have been just fine. In fact, we've admitted to each other today that we're in love." Colette said cheerfully.

"Well, you've got some backbone after all. I'm real proud of you Lloyd. You learned a lot from me and my—hey, ow!" he said, as Lloyd launched a pillow at him before he could finish.

"You've got as much luck with girls as you do with words Zelos." Presea said laughing.

Zelos shook his head. "Has anyone heard from Sheena? I thought she'd be here for the picnic too." he said.

Lloyd shook his head. "We haven't seen her since we sent the letter out. This isn't like her." he said.

All of a sudden the front door burst open, and Sheena Fujibayashi came in holding a piece of paper in her hand. "Sorry I'm late guys, but we've got bad news!" she said, looking as if she was out of breath. "Palmacosta's been destroyed by an unknown force!" she said.

"What?" Lloyd said, shocked.

"It can't be…" Regal said.

"How terrible…" Presea exclaimed.

"Oh my…" Colette said.

"How awful!" Raine said.

"This can't be." Genis said, his eyes wide with shock.

"Oh my god…" Zelos said, eyes wide.

"That isn't the half of it. Someone said the assailants looked like Cruxis angels!" Sheena said.

With those words, everyone was shocked to the core. How could Cruxis still exist?

Thanks for reading. Rate and review please!


	2. Chapter 1

**Tales of Symphonia- The Aftermath of Yggdrasil Chapter 1**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia or any of the characters. They are the property of Namco Inc. I do however, own the character Ricky Elusa._**

"But how can that be? I thought we wiped them all out?" Lloyd exclaimed, incensed at the very mention of Cruxis' name.

Raine shook her head, and looked out the window. "It's possible some of them survived Derris-Kharlan's destruction." she said analytically.

Regal looked at all of them before he voiced his opinion. "Or it could be someone entirely new." he said.

Nearly a minute's silence followed Regal's proclamation. No one dared to speak, well, no one but Zelos that is.

"So what if it's someone new? We just kick their butts like last time right?" he said, looking at everyone for support.

"It's not that simple Zelos. Mithos and Cruxis were bad enough. These guys could be a whole lot tougher, and a whole lot worse." Lloyd said, looking at it from another angle.

Genis just stared at Lloyd, amazed at his friend's speech. "You really have grown up Lloyd. You never used to say things like that." he said.

"How did you get the information Sheena? Since you have a piece of paper, I assume it's the info you just gave us?" Zelos asked the dark purple-haired ninja.

Sheena nodded in response. She was trying to catch her breath before talking. "I got it from a dark cloaked man who was standing outside Triet when I came in the Inn. I didn't know who he was or what he looked like." she said.

Colette's eyes widened, and then softened. "How do you know it was a he? And did he keep his cloak around his face?" she asked.

Sheena nodded again. "Yeah, pretty much. I couldn't get a good look at his face. But the voice definitely makes him a guy. He acted all mysterious though." she said, thinking back.

Presea looked thoughtful for a moment. "Did his voice sound like the pitch was kind of in the middle? Like a normal 20 year-old guy's voice would be?" she asked Sheena.

They all turned their heads to look at her. Sheena cocked her head to one side, Lloyd just stared, and everyone else did the same.

Sheena looked at Presea, shocked. "Y…yes, it did. But how did you know that? How could you even tell his age for that matter?" she asked. Sheena was at a loss for words. _"How could she even know what he sounded like? Has she met him before?"_ she thought.

"I am also interested in knowing how Presea came by that information. Care to explain?" Regal asked, having some idea of how she knew that.

"I had contacted him once sometime ago. Remember the information we needed on Vharley's dealings with the Pope?" she asked.

Regal only nodded in reply.

"Well, he's the one who got me the information. He usually charged for it, but he told me it was on the house. It kind of shocked me. I never expected Ricky to be the caring and charitable type." she exclaimed.

Once again, Presea found all eyes in the room on her. She became quite red.

"Ricky? As in Ricky the Elusive?" Zelos exclaimed, looking at Presea.

"You've heard of him Zelos? How?" Raine asked, quite serious.

Zelos snorted. "Who _hasn't_ heard of him?" he said.

"He's pretty famous for a human. They say he can even use magic." Genis said.

The others had wide-eyed looks on their faces.

"He can use magic? How in the heck is that possible?" Sheena asked.

Lloyd shook his head. "Who knows? He could be like Zelos, and have been injected with elven blood." he said.

"He's right you know. We can't rule that out. But what's with him being elusive?" Regal asked.

"No one really knows. Some say he just prefers to work alone. Others say it's because the last time he got close to someone, they died in his arms…" Colette said, looking down.

Lloyd hugged her tight, and she returned his hug. "It's all right Colette, I'm not going anywhere. But I can see why he chooses to be like that. To lose someone you care about…" he whispered.

"The pain must be unbearable…" Regal finished.

Zelos let out a soft whistle. "Man that just sucks. Too bad he doesn't come around Meltokio that often. All the girls nearly swoon when he's mentioned." the former Chosen said, chuckling.

"_They do now do they? They'd better watch it."_ Sheena thought to herself. All of a sudden she felt herself blush. Why was she thinking about some guy like that? She shrugged off the feeling quickly. "What should we do about him? Does he seem like a threat?" she asked.

Lloyd shook his head. "At the moment, no. He _did_ get us information on Palmacosta, which might've taken weeks to get here otherwise." he said.

Colette nodded in agreement. "Lloyd's right, we can't assume anything yet. We should focus on this mystery group for now." Colette said.

Lloyd stood up, and walked over to a bolted case on the wall. He unlocked it and pulled out a belt with two swords on either side. They were the Flamberge and Vorpal Sword, which together made the Eternal Sword. Lloyd strapped them on and turned to the group. "It looks like we're off to save the world again, huh?" he said.

Regal stood up, and nodded. "Yes it does."

"This time we won't be hit without warning." Genis said, also getting up.

"Yes. This time we have a heads up to what we're dealing with." Presea said.

"Oh yeah, it's time to kick some evil butt!" Zelos shouted.

"Another adventure? Yay!" Colette said, smiling.

"I wonder if we'll see any new ruins." Raine said, her eyes lighting up.

"Why did I know this would happen?" Sheena said jokingly.

"Question is, where do we head to first?" Lloyd asked the group.

"That's easy Lloyd. We go to Palmacosta." Raine said.

With one big 'we're off!', the group began their journey anew. They headed down the road to the Triet Desert.

_In the Ossa Trail, not far from Palmacosta..._

A blue-cloaked figure walked along the trail, surveying the damage around him. There had been a town here until recently. He raised a gloved fist and thrust it into the wall, causing pain to ripple throughout his body.

"Damn it all! I got here too late…" the boy said, dropping to the ground. He threw back his hood, letting his medium-length brown hair flow in the wind. His eyes brimmed with tears as he cried out into the sky, sunlight glinting off of the jewel on his left hand.

"How could I let this happen? Some protector I am." he thought bitterly as he got to his feet. He walked to the area that had once been the western exit of the Village of Ossa. He walked past it and out into the arid Triet Desert.

"Why do I get the feeling that _he's_ the one responsible for this?" the boy thought, putting his hood back up and walking on towards the town in the distance.

He walked only a short distance into the desert when he was attacked by a gang of thugs. But they didn't look like your everyday bandits. They had crude markings on their clothes, and Ricky knew what it meant.

"So, we've finally found you Ricky! Ha, the Master will be pleased." one said.

"Now come with us, and we won't have to kill you." another said.

Ricky looked at them with what bordered on absolute hatred. "And what makes you think I'm going to come with you? Heh, over my dead body." he retorted.

One pulled out a long sword, two pulled out daggers, and the leader pulled out a staff. "We had hoped it wouldn't come to this, but you leave us no choice. Kill him!" the leader said.

The three others charged at Ricky, as he pulled a bright green sword from a sheath under his cloak. As one of the Daggers came near, he dodged a thrust to his side and impaled the one on his sword. He pulled back quickly, the man spurting blood from the wound in his chest. As one went down, the man with the Longsword came in to attack. "Man, they just don't let up! Fireball!" Ricky shouted, throwing balls of fire into the mans chest. He doubled back, but came at Ricky again. It was clear that he wore fire resistant material. They clashed swords, the silver steel of the Assassin's long sword clashing with the ether-like green blade of Ricky's sword. Ricky moved too quickly on one occasion, and suffered a slash to his left side. "Ack! This isn't good." he thought.

The leader came a step closer, and spoke again. "You've done well Ricky, but you should know when to give up. Surrender and maybe Lady Fia will spare you." he said menacingly. He took a step closer, but stopped when he saw white light surround Ricky. _"What the hell?"_ he thought.

Ricky slowly stood up, the white light continuing to envelop him. "I'm not without defense, even when down. Purifying light, rain down upon these corrupt souls…" he began.

The man with the long sword began to step back. "Sir, he's going to…" he stammered.

The man with the staff stepped back. "I know…it's too late to run! We're done for." he shouted.

Ricky's left hand, sword still gripped tightly, shot into the air. "JUDGMENT!" he shouted loudly, as the sky began to rain with bright light, the light of the heavens. Beams began to strike the leader and the two remaining assassin's. Unable to withstand the onslaught of holy energy, they were instantly vaporized by the attack. After they had been defeated, Ricky lowered his hand. He sheathed his sword, and continued to walk. "Ugh, this pain is becoming unbearable. I must've been hurt worse than I thought. To think, that even _she_ could be capable of something like this." he said as he entered the town of Triet, nearly too weak to stand.

A girl in rather familiar looking clothes ran over to him. "Hey, are you all right?" she asked.

Ricky looked up and into the face of Chocolat. "I'm hurt…badly. I need to…see a…doctor…" he began, but collapsed before he could finish.

"Oh no! I need to get him to the inn, and quick!" she said. She called over some guys to help her, and together they took Ricky into the inn. Moments later the town doctor entered the inn.


	3. Chapter 2

**Tales of Symphonia- The Aftermath of Yggdrasil Chapter 2**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia or any of the characters. They are the property of Namco Inc. I do however, own the character Ricky Elusa._**

Lloyd walked must faster than usual in the desert. When he'd first stepped foot into it, he had complained about how hot it was. Now, he walked as if the heat was nothing. "How long till we reach Triet?" he asked Raine.

She shook her head. "We'll be lucky if we get there before nightfall." she told him.

Lloyd sighed and continued to walk onward, Colette at his side.

"They look so happy together, don't they?" Regal asked Presea.

The girl only nodded. "Yes, they do." she said. Presea seemed distant for a brief second before she composed herself.

"What in the hell is that?" Zelos shouted, pointing towards a bright light in the distance.

Colette turned to look towards where Zelos pointed, and gasped. "That's the Triet Desert area. But that light…it can't be…" she said.

"What is it Colette? What is that light?" Genis asked, worry evident in his voice.

Colette stepped back a pace. "That light is an Angel Spell. But the only one like that is…Judgment…" she said, still in shock.

There was an audible gasp from the others as they heard this.

"This could mean that Cruxis did survive, or…" Sheena began.

"That Dad could have come back!" Lloyd finished.

Raine's face seemed to be calculating that possibility then shook her head. "I doubt it Lloyd. Based on the speed in which Derris-Kharlan drifted away from Symphonia, it would be too far away by now for him to get here easily. Even the Eternal Sword wouldn't help, since you have that." she said.

Lloyd hung his head, and Colette slipped her arms about him. "It's ok Lloyd, I'm sure we'll find out who that was." she said soothingly, caressing his hair with her fingers.

The group began to walk again, steering towards the town of Triet. Whoever had caused that light would be there, or at least they hoped they would be.

_In the Triet Inn, not far from Lloyd and the others…_

Chocolat watched as the town's doctor examined Ricky, a worried look on her face. "Is he going to be all right?" she asked, her voice weak and cracked.

The doctor paused for a moment, then stood up. "I can't be certain right now. I need a little more time to see what's wrong." he said, looking at Chocolat with pity. What the doctor was afraid of however, was that Ricky had been poisoned.

Chocolat could only nod, as she turned and walked out of the room. She quickly sank into a chair and began to weep openly. "Oh, how could this happen to him like this?" she sobbed, not seeing the group enter the inn.

"Um, we'd like to know if the doctor is here. He requested a medical team from Flanior." the orange-haired man spoke.

Chocolat looked up, her eyes puffy and her face red. "Yes, he mentioned you'd be coming. Through that door there." she pointed, then put her head back in her hands.

The four walked into the room, and the violet-haired woman spoke to the doctor. "We're the medical team you requested from Flanior. What's the situation?" she asked.

The doctor looked to the woman, and motioned her over to where Ricky lay. "Well, it seems as if he was poisoned. But what gets me is that I've never seen this kind of poison before. Um, you are…?" he asked.

The doctor bowed slightly. "Forgive me, I am Dr. Shimizu." the woman said. She went over to Ricky and ran her hand across his face. Something about what she felt was wrong. "Jack, come here a moment." Shimizu said to the orange-haired man.

Jack walked over and knelt next to the doctor. "What is it Doctor?" he asked.

"Get me the Celsius Tear Antidote out of my bag. It looks like the work of poison that used to be employed by a group called Cruxis." she told him.

His eyes grew big, and he hurried to the bag. A moment later, Jack came back with a tear-shaped bottle in hand. The liquid was ice cold. "Here you are Doctor. Will this work?" he asked her.

She nodded her head. "Yes, it should. This antidote was developed by Raine Sage, one of the eight Heroes of Symphonia, shortly after the poison surfaced. It will do the trick." she said, uncorking the bottle. She opened his mouth, and poured the liquid inside. With a little help from Jack, she was able to get him to swallow it. She stayed there for a moment, before getting up. She turned to a raven-haired girl who stood at the back. "Teana, please tell Miss Chocolat that Ricky will be fine." Shimizu told her.

Teana bowed slightly, and left the room. She found Chocolat drying her tears. "Um, Miss Chocolat?" she asked. Chocolat looked up at her. "Yes, what is it? Will he be all right?" she asked worriedly. Teana nodded, and Chocolat sighed in relief. "Yes, he will be just fine. He'll need a good day's rest however. It would be wise to get him to eat and drink a little when he awakens." Teana told her. Chocolat nodded, and smiled. She stood up. "If it's all right with you, I'll take care of Ricky now." she said.

Dr. Shimizu, Jack, and Areo (the red-haired man) stepped out of Ricky's room with the town doctor. They walked over to where Chocolat stood, smiles on their faces. "He'll be just fine now Miss Chocolat. Just give him something to eat and drink when he wakes up." Shimizu said. Chocolat nodded, already having heard. "Our work here is done Dr. Azure. We shall take our leave now." Areo said, walking to the door with Shimizu and the others. With one last look, they turned and went outside, shutting the door behind them.

Dr. Azure turned to Chocolat and nodded. "I shall be leaving as well. Do take good care of him. You always have Chocolat." he said smiling, and then he too was gone.

Chocolat went into Ricky's room, and moved a chair to his bedside. She took a blanket from one of the other beds, and sat down next to him. She put the blanket over herself, and settled in. She silently watched Ricky, noticing that his breathing had returned to normal. She smiled to herself. "I'm glad that you are safe. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you…" she thought as she drifted off to sleep.

_At the entrance to the town of Triet…_

Genis and Lloyd were the first to enter Triet. As the others followed, people noticed them, and who they were.

"It is the Heroes, they are here! Hurrah!" the villagers cried.

Too embarrassed to talk, they group made their way to the Inn. Lloyd was the first to speak.

"This'll be the first night we've spent here in nearly a year." he said.

"Yeah. It'll be nice for a change Lloyd." Colette said, her eyes lighting up all of a sudden.

Zelos chuckled. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say Colette wants to bunk with Lloyd. Real smooth my little angel." he said, grinning. That remark earned him a punch to the head from Sheena.

"You're such an idiot Zelos! I don't know _what_ Kate sees in you." she exclaimed. She stormed off to one of the nearby chairs, and sat down.

Regal was looking at Zelos with what appeared to be awe. "You never told us that you and Kate were romantically involved Zelos." he said, not quite believing it.

After rubbing his head for a few seconds, he replied. "Well, there's a lot you don't know Regal. After I rescued her from the fiasco with the Pope, she just kind of grew on me. Before you knew it, we were dating." he said, and for the first time the group could tell that Zelos was happy.

Genis looked like his mouth was hanging open. "You? Dating a half-elf? This is something I never saw coming." he exclaimed.

Zelos popped him playfully on the head. "Watch it you little brat. I'll tell cute little Presea here what you've been hiding." he said, the oh-so familiar grin returning to his face.

Presea titled her head to one side, looking at Genis. "Tell me what Genis? What does Zelos mean?" she asked the silver-haired half-elf.

Genis' face was rapidly changing shades of red. "Um, well…you see Presea…it's…could you meet me outside tonight?" he asked her, his face a brilliant red. Without waiting for an answer, he dashed off to the room that had been put aside for him.

Each of the group had their own room in the Inn of course. It was slightly larger than it used to be, thanks to Lloyd and Zelos of course. Though no one had thought the two would ever be capable of this, they were in fact quite capable. Though Lloyd was in charge, since he was pretty much a master carpenter in Iselia.

Presea's face blushed slightly, and she walked to her room. "I'm going to freshen up for tonight." she said to herself, the others noticing a little spring in her step.

Colette just smiled. "Aww, that's so cute! I'm glad they're getting together." she said to the others.

Zelos just laughed. "I knew he'd eventually crack if I said something. But the rest I leave to him. This is where I stop meddling." he said, walking off to his room.

Regal just stared after him. "That was not the Zelos we knew way back then. He's changed since he and Kate got together." he declared.

Sheena walked over and nodded. "Yeah, that's for sure. He's not even being his usual pervert self anymore. Guess he's finally grown up." she said.

Just as Lloyd was about to say something, a door in the Inn opened up. A girl with medium-brown hair and brown eyes walked out of the room. When she looked up, her face broke into a smile. "Lloyd, Colette! It's so nice to see you again." she said smiling. She walked over and gave Colette and Lloyd a hug.

"Hey Chocolat, how are you?" Lloyd asked her.

She only smiled and nodded. "I'm doing fine. Just had a little mishap here, but everything's all right." she said, becoming a little nervous all of a sudden.

"Is something wrong Chocolat?" Sheena asked, seeing the change in the girl's facial expression.

"Oh no, nothing is wrong. Nothing at all." she said.

Raine stopped for a moment, as if sensing something in the air. "I sense magical energy in this Inn. It's coming from the room Chocolat came out of." she declared.

Sheena looked up. "Yeah, I can feel a faint energy too. Chocolat, what is going on?" Sheena asked her.

Chocolat only shook her head. "Please don't disturb him. He's just been badly wounded, and needs to rest." she said to them. Her voice was becoming quaky.

Lloyd walked over to the door of the room, Colette in tow. He pushed open the door, and a sharp intake of breath was heard. "He has an Exsphere on his left hand." he said, looking back at Chocolat.

The others turned to look at her, wondering what was going on. "Chocolat, who is he?" Colette asked, a concerned note in her voice.

Sheena looked at his face, and when she saw his cloak lying on the dresser, she knew who it was. "It's him…it's the one I got the information from." she said, her voice nearly a whisper. She backed up a pace.

Regal's eyebrows arched. "You mean Ricky the Elusive? But what would he be doing here?" he asked, turning to Chocolat.

Raine walked boldly into the room, and sat down by Ricky's bed. After a moment, she looked up. Her face was staunch white. "Genis…the rumors…they were right. He can use magic, even without the Exsphere." she said.

The others gasped, and Sheena looked in. Lloyd turned to Chocolat. "Chocolat, why is Ricky here?" he asked her.

Regal looked at her. "Is there something wrong?" he asked.

Chocolat took a deep breath before speaking. What she said shocked the group to its core. "He's here because he was attacked by bandits who used the Cruxis poison you made an antidote to. But that's not the half of it. He's…my brother." she said silently.

Her expected reaction from them was exactly what happened. The group could say nothing, as they were stunned speechless by this revelation.

"_Her brother is Ricky? This is nothing like what we expected." Sheena thought._


	4. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Tales of Eternia, or any 'Tales of' related game terms. They are the property of Namco Inc. and others._

_Sorry that I haven't updated in so long. I've been so busy at home, among other things. I've written up to nine chapters at this point, with a few supplemental documents as well. Enjoy this chapter!_

**Tales of Symphonia- The Aftermath of Yggdrasil Chapter 3**

The group continued to stare in complete shock at Chocolat. None of them had expected to hear something like this.

"Bro…brother? Chocolat, you never told us you had a brother." Lloyd exclaimed, shocked at the news.

Colette looked into the room where Raine was at. She could see the elder Sage child sitting in the chair by Ricky's bed. "Why didn't you tell us Chocolat? We could've helped you two out." she said, looking back to the girl.

Chocolat walked over to Ricky's bedside, and sat down on the edge. She looked at the still rather pale face of her brother, and sighed. "It's not that simple. Back when Cruxis still existed, Ricky and I knew that if we stayed together, we'd have an even harder life. Ricky had stolen the Exsphere and Key Crest from one of Yggdrasil's top people." she said, her eyes filling up with tears.

"So Ricky left and went into hiding then? He did it in order to protect you, didn't he?" Sheena asked her. She was looking at Ricky strangely, but she couldn't figure out why.

"Yeah, that's right. He did it because he wanted me to have an easy life. He knew that as long as he stayed, I'd be in danger. So he just up and left one day, only leaving a note to tell me why he'd done it." she told them.

Regal shook his head. "I can see the nobility in doing so, but it must've been hard on you. How could he leave his sister?" he asked.

"He was being pursued by members of Cruxis. He'd explained it in the note. He said someone named Kvar was behind it." Chocolat said.

They heard another sharp intake of breath as Lloyd's fist clenched. "Kvar, that murderer! He's the same guy who murdered my mom. Though he's dead now. Kratos and I ran him through over a year ago." he said, slipping into one of the chairs. Colette hurried over and sat down beside him, slipping her arms around him and snuggling her head against his chest. "Don't worry Lloyd, it's all right. Kvar can't do anymore damage since he's gone." she said soothingly.

Chocolat shook her head. "That's not the worst part you guys. It seems that after you and Kratos defeated Kvar, someone else took his place." she said, her voice becoming suddenly bitter.

Sheena walked over to where Chocolat sat, and gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Ricky's safe now. That's what matters right?" she asked. Chocolat nodded, and looked at her brother again.

"Who could be after him now Chocolat? If he has the power I sense, then he's still in danger." Raine declared.

Chocolat spoke, but she never lifted her head. "Almost a month after you all reunited the two worlds, a girl by the name of Fia came here. I was not in at the time, so Ricky helped her out. It seems she and my brother grew closer together in the months that followed." she said, the bitterness in her voice coming up even more.

"But what would Fia have to do with Ricky being poisoned? Did he make her jealous somehow?" Lloyd asked.

Once again, Chocolat shook her head. "No, it was nothing like that. Ricky never takes advantage of anyone. He and Fia had an argument one night. The one word that stood out was 'Cruxis'. I asked Ricky what had happened, and he wouldn't say anything." she said.

Colette nodded. "So basically she could be part of a group trying to finish what Cruxis started?" she asked.

"Yes, it would seem that way. Whatever group she's a part of, she's also one of the leaders as well." she said, the bitterness in her voice now so strong, the sound of it was like a slap on the wall.

Regal's voice was barely a whisper as he spoke. "He was seeing the leader of an enemy group, and didn't even know it?" he asked.

"That would be my guess. It's clear she deceived him. What's worse is the fact that now she wants him captured." Chocolat said.

"That sneaky, deceptive, no good wench!" Sheena said vehemently.

Everyone in the room turned to look at her.

"Sheena, are you all right? You sound kind of tense." Lloyd asked.

Sheena shook her head, and backed up a little. "I'm all right, just a little tired. I'd forgotten how hot the Triet Desert can be. I'm going to go lie down for a while." she said, walking out of the room. Seconds later, they heard a door slam shut.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say Sheena's developing a soft spot for Ricky." Raine said.

Chocolat could only smile and giggle in response.

_In a remote base, the current location unknown…_

A young woman sat in a high backed chair in a small room. Her dark green hair flowing in the wind coming through the open window. Her sparkling green eyes accented her hair perfectly. She was looking at what appeared to be a picture of two people. A small sigh escaped her lips as she looked at the boy and girl in the picture.

"Lady Fia, I've come to give my report." a man wearing white armor declared.

Fia quickly hid the picture somewhere in the chair, and shifted her body so that she faced the man. His blue hair was tied back in a knot, and his red eyes were eerily sparkling. "Well then, give it to me. Have they succeeded in capturing Ricky?" she demanded.

The man shifted uneasily before he spoke. "I'm afraid the Assassin's you sent have failed my Lady." he said, not looking at her.

Fia's eyes grew wide, and there was rage mirrored in them. "What? How could they have failed!?" she yelled, the anger quite apparent in her voice.

The man jumped back a little. "Um well, he noticed them before they could put him to sleep. So they had to fight. They almost had him…till he used Judgment." the man said.

"He used WHAT!? How on earth can he use an angel spell Dyaos?" Fia demanded of him.

Dyaos shook his head. "We don't know. The only way it is possible is if he acquired one from Cruxis prior to its downfall." he stipulated.

Fia slammed her fist onto the left arm of the throne she sat on. "How could I have missed it? Dyaos, keep an eye on Ricky. Whenever it looks like you have an opening, send four more assassins to capture him. Make sure they get him _this_ time!" she shouted.

"Yes ma'am. I'll make sure of it. Good day." he said, and twirling he left the room and shut the door.

Fia pulled the picture back out, and traced the boy's outline with her finger. "Soon Ricky, you will be back where you belong. Back here…with me." she said, smiling to herself.

_That night, at the Triet Inn…_

Ricky was still sleeping in the bed. He had gotten quite well in the past few hours, but he was still asleep. A lone figure sat by his bedside, watching over him. But it wasn't his sister however.

"I don't understand it. How can I feel about you the way I do, when we've never met?" Sheena whispered silently. She reached over and gently stroked his cheek.

The moonlight fell on Ricky's face, and it gave him an ethereal sort of glow. Sheena could feel her face burning, but being the ninja she was, didn't let it bother her.

"_I can't help but wonder if I'm falling in love with him. Heh, get a hold of yourself Sheena. How do you even know if he likes you back? Geez, there I go again!"_ she thought.

Sheena got up out of the chair, and walked over to the door. She turned to look back at him. "Good night, Ricky…" she whispered, before going out and gently shutting the door. She had only walked a few steps when she heard someone.

"So, you're taking an interest in my brother Sheena?" Chocolat said, stepping out from the shadow of her room at the Inn. Sheena could tell that her face was a little cold looking.

"Um, why do you ask that Chocolat?" Sheena said, keeping her face hidden. Right now, she was unsure of Chocolat's intentions.

"Because I can tell by the look in your eyes. It's the same one that that Fia girl had. How do I know you won't do the same thing she did?" Chocolat said, her voice becoming icy.

Sheena stepped back a little. "You know I'm not like that Chocolat. I don't even know if he likes me back ok!? We haven't even met before now, so how can you even say something like that?" she nearly yelled. Sheena ran towards the Inn's front door and yanked it open. Not caring about the look Genis and Presea gave her, she jumped up to the highest roof in town.

"What happened to her Chocolat?" Genis asked the girl.

Chocolat shook her head. "I don't know ok?" she said a little harshly.

"Chocolat, does this have to do with Ricky?" Presea asked.

Chocolat sighed and dropped her shoulders. "Yes, it does. I think Sheena may be falling for my brother." she said quietly.

Presea whistled. "You're afraid she'll do the same thing that Fia did to him…aren't you?" she asked.

Chocolat mutely nodded.

"Chocolat, Presea and I know Sheena. She'd never do something like that. If she does love him, then you can trust me when I tell you she means well." Genis said.

Chocolat only nodded. "I suppose you're right. I shouldn't have said what I did. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to lie down." she said. Chocolat went back inside and to her room.

Presea turned to Genis and smiled. "That was very nice of you Genis." she said, leaning in to kiss him. Their lips met, and Presea kissed him harder.

Genis was shocked to say the least, but he kissed her back with equal love. He pulled back, and looked into her eyes. "I love you Presea." he said softly.

She smiled and blushed. "I love you too Genis." she said back.


	5. Chapter 4

**Tales of Symphonia- The Aftermath of Yggdrasil Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Tales of Symphonia nor the characters or places in it. They are the property of their respective compaines, Namco Inc. and the like.**

_The following morning…_

Ricky awoke for the first time in two days. The sunlight was streaming into the open window. "Why do I feel different?" he thought, and then he looked down. It was apparent that someone had changed his clothes while he was out. Blushing at the thought of someone seeing him naked, he quickly got out of bed, and held onto the side for support. "I guess I'm still a little dizzy. But how did Chocolat come by the Celsius Tear antidote?" he wondered, knowing that it was the potion that had saved him. He opened the door to his room, and walked out into the common room of the Inn. He and Chocolat had owned the place for nearly a year and a half now. Ricky fixed himself a small breakfast, and sat down at one of the tables. He ate silently while thinking on what had happened to him. "How could Fia do something like this? I guess she never really cared about me to begin with. Obsessed is a better way of putting it." he thought as he munched on his toast.

"What a fascinating Exsphere! You must let me study it more closely." a feminine voice said.

Ricky whipped his head up, and looked into the face of a female half-elf. "Don't scare me like that! Wait, I know you from somewhere." he said, getting a thoughtful look on his face. His eyes went wide as he remembered who she was. "You…you're Raine Sage! One of the eight Heroes of Symphonia." he said, an awestruck look on his face.

Raine merely nodded as she walked over and took the seat across from him. "That is correct. You must also know then that I'm the one who created the Celsius Tear potion correct?" she asked him.

"Yes, I do. I don't know how I could thank you for that. If it hadn't been for the potion, I'd be dead." Ricky said, looking down. He looked back up to see Raine grinning.

"It's true that I created it, but the thanks goes to your sister Chocolat. She's the one who was able to get you help." Raine told him.

Ricky smiled, thinking of his sister. She always seemed to come through for him when he needed it most. "I take it that you were all here when I was knocked out? Which also means that…you know I can do magic." he said softly.

The half-elf nodded again. "Yes, I was able to sense as much when I arrived. Tell me…was it you who used the Judgment spell?" she asked, getting serious.

Ricky gulped. She had him, and he knew it. "Yes, that was me. This also means that you know I possess a Cruxis Crystal. I didn't actually steal it, despite what you've heard. I got it from a man named Yuan." he said. Yuan also possessed a Cruxis Crystal, but he was still able to give Ricky one. The crystal gave off a faint green glow, like a leaf with a drop of dew on a spring morning.

Raine looked at the crystal, and noticed how familiar it seemed. "Ricky, who did it belong to before?" she asked.

Ricky sighed. "Yuan said it used to belong to someone he loved. He said her name was Martel." he said silently.

Raine's eyes went wide, and then they softened. "I see. To give you something like that means he trusts you with it." she said.

Before Ricky could say anything, a shriek was heard, and then a figure nearly crashed into him, hugging him. "Ricky, you're awake! Oh I'm so happy!" came the voice of his sister Chocolat.

"I'm happy I was able to wake up. It's nice to see you again Chocolat." he said, not being able to help smiling.

"I was afraid you'd die, but good thing the doctor remembered the antidote. Oh, I see you've met Raine already." she said, motioning to her.

"Yes, I have. We've been having a nice chat for a bit already. It was quite pleasant I must say." Ricky said, nodding to Raine.

Raine only smiled, and got up from the table. "I think we should call the others in here Chocolat." she told the girl.

Chocolat nodded, and went to the front door. She opened it, and yelled out. "Hey guys, get in here!" she yelled.

Ricky looked puzzled. "Um, what are you two talking about Raine? Wait…are they _all_ here with you?" he asked, referring to the other seven Heroes. He couldn't believe it, but when they came in moments later, he knew it was true. "It's…truly an honor to meet you all." he said, getting up and bowing.

"Likewise Ricky. We're glad you're all right. Name's Lloyd Irving." Lloyd said, looking at him. He could sense something strange about Ricky, but he couldn't guess what it was.

"Nice to meet you Ricky! I'm Colette Brunell." the petite blonde girl said, smiling as she always did.

"I see you've met my sister Raine. I'm her brother, Genis Sage." the short, silver-haired half-elf boy said.

"I am Regal Bryant. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." the tall, blue haired man said.

"Presea Combatir, pleased to meet you." the short, pink-haired girl said. Ricky noticed she was about the same height as Genis, yet seemed wiser than him.

"Yo man, what's hanging? The name's Zelos Wilder, but you can call me Zelos." the red-haired guy said. He noticed he also wore a lot of pink too.

The last one, a girl with raven-colored hair and brown eyes, was looking at Ricky. "The name's Sheena Fujibayashi. Nice to meet you." she said, not looking at him after she introduced herself.

Ricky smiled. "I remember you Sheena. I met you only a couple weeks ago. Nice to see you again." he said cheerfully.

Sheena's face went bright red, but she turned around quickly to hide it. _"Get a hold of yourself Sheena! You can't let them see you acting like this."_ she thought. She turned back around when her face had gone back to its normal color.

Ricky motioned for everyone to take a seat at the table. He noticed that Lloyd and Colette, as well as Genis and Presea, sat beside each other. He could only help but smile at the thought. "I guess you are all wondering what I was doing in the desert two days ago correct?" he asked them.

They all nodded their heads in unison.

"Well, as you know, Palmacosta is no more. The group that attacked it has laid waste to it like a dragon to a forest." he said.

Everyone shook their head. "That's horrible. All those people who suffered…" Colette whispered, and Lloyd wrapped his arm about her.

"That's not that half of it. There was a town within the Ossa Trail, as I'm sure you know. It too was destroyed not long after." he said, looking down.

"Such pointless and absurd destruction." Raine said. She shook her head.

"I had begun to get tired by that point, as I had walked a great distance with no rest. Even I have my limits. Since I was so close to home, I decided to drop in and see how Chocolat was doing." Ricky said, smiling at his sister, who in turn smiled back.

"That's sweet of you to check up on your sister." Zelos said, and Ricky saw everyone look at him funny.

"I had only taken a few steps into the Triet Desert when four assassins appeared. They weren't normal, everyday assassins either. The markings on their clothes were runic, about the same kind used before the Ancient Kharlan War." he said.

"Runes used _before_ the Kharlan War? That's pretty amazing." Genis exclaimed, and Raine nodded.

"They told me to surrender and come peacefully. I told them forget it. So we began to fight, four on one. The battle went on for sometime, one of them already dead at the start. The Longswordian was able to cut a gash in my side, thus how I became poisoned. Their leader said that if I gave up, then maybe Lady Fia would spare me." he said. He heard an intake of breath, like a hiss, and saw Chocolat clenching her fist. "It was then that I knew Fia was behind this." he said.

"That no good rotten liar! How dare she try to kill you. If I ever see her again, I'll…" Chocolat said, fuming.

"It would be unwise to become angry about something we have no control over." a voice said.

They all turned to the door, and Ricky heard them all gasp. An auburn-haired man in a white outfit stood in the doorway. Ricky knew him, but couldn't believe it. "Kratos!" he exclaimed.

All of a sudden, Ricky felt everyone's eyes on him. His face flushed with embarrassment. "I met him the day I got my Exsphere." he told them.

Lloyd got up, and stared at Kratos. He couldn't believe it. "Dad? But how are you here?" he asked, his face full of shock.

Kratos walked over and took the last remaining seat at the table. "Derris-Kharlan is no longer working. I was able to get off of it before it exploded." he said to the group.

Raine gasped. "Derris-Kharlan…is gone?" she asked.

Kratos nodded. "Yes, it is. Without the power of the Eternal Sword, and the mana of the two worlds, Derris-Kharlan could no longer function. It automatically self-destructed." he said.

Lloyd shook his head. "So you're here for good then? I mean really?" he asked.

"Yes Lloyd, for good this time." he said, smiling. He then turned to Ricky. "We should let him continue his tale. Now what exactly is this new enemy we face?" he asked.

Ricky knew better than to not speak. "This is where we come to the difficult part of my story. This is the last time I saw Fia." he said, getting ready to finish his story. He exhaled slowly, and spoke. "It was a night I'll never forget. I had just come back from my evening walk, and I found Fia waiting for me in my room." he said.

_Nearly a year ago, on a starlit night…_

_Ricky walked into his room at the Inn, and found someone waiting for him. "F…Fia? What are you doing here?" he asked, his face becoming red._

_Fia smiled at Ricky, and walked over to greet him. Her light green clothes swaying in the wind coming in from the window. "I was just coming to see my darling, that's all." she said, slipping her arms around his waist and pressing herself against him._

_Ricky blushed, but held her closer. "It's been a long time. I've missed you Fia. I just wish we didn't have to be apart for so long." he said sadly._

_Fia raised her head to look at him, and smiled. "We don't have to be you know. You remember what I asked you last time?" she said, kissing his lips lightly._

_Ricky pulled away from Fia, and went over to the window. He knew well enough what she was asking, and she already knew what he was going to say. "How can you even ask me that Fia? I told you before that I won't join your organization, that I won't join Azura. Why must you ask me again?" he said, the pain in his voice becoming apparent. He should have known better than to think that Fia had just come here to be with him._

"_Because I know how you feel about me Ricky. I cry inside every time we part too. This way, we can be together forever. You will be my right hand, the second-in-command of the group that shall replace Cruxis! You'd be the most desirable man on the face of Symphonia, but you'd be with me." she said, the sultriness of her voice easy to read._

_Ricky was sure of it now. Fia no longer loved him as she used to, like when they'd first met. She only seemed obsessed with him. She didn't care for his feelings any longer. "I'm afraid not Fia. I won't join Azura, and that's final. I can't believe I let you fool me into thinking that you'd come here to just be with me. I know your true purpose now…you no longer love me as you once did. You only seek to have me on a leash!" he said, turning to face her, the tears sparkling as they slid down his face._

_Fia's face contorted in anger. She did not like being denied what she wanted. "You would spurn the woman you love!? You would spurn the chance of absolute power? How can you be so cold!?" she yelled._

"_Cold? I'm the one who's cold!? You're the one who's trying to destroy Symphonia! Do you think I'm going to sit by and let you? You know me better than that Fia. If you go through with this…then you mark me as your enemy." he said, the tears flowing down his face._

_When Fia spoke, her voice was ice cold. "Then this is it, isn't it? Our relationship is no more. But know that I will not stop until I make you see my point. I will have you at my side…or kill you if you refuse." she said. With that said and done, Fia vanished in a flash of light._

_Ricky slumped on his bed. The pain in his heart was undeniable. "I can't believe it ended this way. How could I have been such a fool?" he said. He began to weep openly._

Ricky couldn't look at anyone as he finished the story. Tears were streaming down his face. "That's the end of my tale. After that, I traveled the land, working as a mercenary, and also as a gatherer of information. I was not easily found or contacted, thus how I earned the title Ricky the Elusive. I made it that way so that Fia could not find me. It seems…that I have finally run out of options. I have no choice…I must fight against her, even if it means that…one of us will have to die in the end." he said, the long-held feelings coming at him in a rush. He began to weep openly, forgetting that he was in the presence of the Heroes of Symphonia.

The group could only look at him silently as he cried. Each one of them knowing in part how he must feel. They could find no words of comfort for something such as this. No, not even Colette could find anything to say.

Kratos knew all too well the pain Ricky felt. It was the same way he felt when he had to kill Anna in order to save her. _"But when it comes down to the battle with Fia, will Ricky have the will to fight? If he is to stay alive, then he will have to be ready."_ Kratos thought to himself.

Sheena couldn't begin to understand what Ricky was going through. But she knew one thing…that Fia was nothing more than a deceitful wench who needed to be beaten to a pulp. _"Heh, listen to how I'm thinking. It's like I want to go over there and wrap my arms around him. But…that IS how I feel right now. Damn, what is going on? I need some fresh air."_ she thought. She stood up, and everyone looked at her. "I need to get some fresh air. This is all too much to take in at once. I'll be back in a while." she told them, and she went out the door.

Chocolat hugged her brother, nearly crying herself. "Oh, I'm so sorry Ricky. I never knew that's what happened that night. I wish Grandma were here, she'd know what to say at a time like this." she said, thinking of Marble. But she knew Grandma would tell her to let him be alone for a while.

"Man, that's horrible. It's worse than anything I could've imagined." Lloyd said, and he hugged Colette tighter.

Colette couldn't think of anything to say. "I'm so sorry to hear that it happened." she told a sobbing Ricky.

Kratos said nothing, since he was now thinking of Anna.

Zelos let out a small whistle. "Man, what a bummer." he said in a whisper.

Regal could not speak, since he had a lump in his throat. He knew the pain of having to kill someone you love, even if it was to save them. He suddenly thought of Alicia.

"I can't believe it. That's so horrible…" Genis said, taking Presea's hand in his.

"So much pain…" Presea said, not looking at anyone.

"I know this may sound uncaring, but you need to get a hold of yourself Ricky. If you're going to fight to save the world, you have to be prepared to face the inevitable." Raine said, looking at him.

Ricky nodded, finally looking up. "You…you're right Raine. I am sorry. It's just…I needed to do that. I've held my feelings in for too long." he said.

"Then what should our course of action be? Since you know more about this threat than we do, what do you suggest?" Kratos asked.

"Well, I already know the scope of Azura's powers. If we're going to stand any kind of chance, we'll need the Weapons of Eternia." he said.

Kratos sucked in his breath. "How do you know of them?" he asked.

Ricky looked at him. "Because I already have one of the ten weapons." he said, drawing out his sword and putting it on the table. The eerie green blade glowed brightly on and off. "This is the Sword of Eternia, Exushia. The Weapons of Eternia draw strength from their wielders. They draw on the light of the person's heart. They are also one of the only chances we have to defeat Azura." he said, putting his sword back.

Lloyd looked at him. "Where is the next weapon then? Well, the closest anyways." he asked.

"I'm glad you asked that Lloyd. The next weapon is located where the Seal of Fire used to be. There is a secret passage in the back of the room." he told them.

"But it's not going to be easy though, is it?" Sheena asked, coming back into the room.

Ricky shook his head, but smiled at Sheena. "Of course not. It'd be a little too boring if there was no challenge now." he said, grinning.

"So, when should we leave?" Raine asked.

Ricky thought for a moment. "Tomorrow would be best. Get what you need from town tonight, then come back here. We'll need to rest before we go." he said, getting up. He walked over to his room, and opened the door. "I will see you all tomorrow morning. Goodnight everyone…and goodnight Sheena." he said, shutting the door behind him as he went inside.

Everyone looked at Sheena, but she was just as surprised. _"Could he like me back? Does he suspect my feelings?"_ she thought.

They all went to their separate rooms, though Colette and Lloyd went into a room together. After saying goodnight to Chocolat, they drifted off to sleep. She did too not long after.

But the night wasn't going to end just yet…


	6. Weapons of Eternia SC

**Tales of Symphonia- The Aftermath of Yggdrasil Weapons of Eternia**

_The 'SC' in the chapter selection title stands for 'supplement chapter'. The reason is said below so I suppose there's no need to say it again right? lol There's one other SC to go with this one, but it is incomplete at the moment._

I thought a little explaining would be needed on the weapons mentioned by Ricky in Chapter 4. While the name comes from the game Tales of Eternia, not all of the names will. Ricky's weapon is in fact the only one that will bear both the name of the game _and_ the name of one of the characters from the anime.

**Disclaimer: Before anyone says anything, I DO NOT own any of the characters from either Tales of Symphonia or Tales of Eternia. But let's not get into that. Without further ado, here are the eight Weapons of Eternia.**

_**Sword of Eternia, Exushia**_

This ancient Longsword was the first of the weapons created in a time long gone. It's ethereal green blade glows brightly most of the time, except when sheathed. It has the ability to instantly kill an enemy of its wielder, making it a dangerous weapon. Ricky Elusa is the current wielder of this weapon.

_**Dagger of Eternia, Excelion**_

This was the second of the ancient weapons made. The blade of this dagger is made of firestone, a material no longer in Symphonia. The blade glows bright red all the time. It has the power to occasionally cast Eruption at times. The weapon rejected Zelos Wilder as its owner, and is now in the possession of Ricky Elusa until such a time as a worthy wielder can be found.

_**Staff of Eternia, Telis**_

The staff was made for a sage who couldn't defend while casting her healing magic. It is made of wood from the very first Kharlan Tree to have existed on Symphonia. It has the power to cast Revitalize when it senses that its bearer is in danger. Its current location is unknown.

_**Kendama of Eternia, Alteron**_

As expected, this particular weapon was made by a half-elf. It was forged from pitch black stone, a hard metal stronger than the fabled Star Ore. Its strength is equaled only by its flexibility. It has the ability to cast either Freeze Lancer or Dreaded Wave, but which one it casts is dependant on the bearer's current situation. Its current location is unknown.

_**Greaves of Eternia, Sundarn**_

Not widely known anymore, greaves were actually used as weapons long ago. These particular ones are made of Ice Ore, one of the four elemental ores no longer in Symphonia. They have the power to stop an enemy in its tracks. Its current location is unknown.

_**Twin Blades of Eternia, Whispering Wind**_

This weapon, or rather weapons, was made with Wind Ore. Being one of the four elemental weapons, it had a unique power. This power enabled the bearer to move at fast speed bursts at will. Its current location is unknown.

_**Ninja Cards of Eternia, Ledah**_

Paper was a hard material to make into a weapon back then, which is surprising. But these cards are made out of mythril papyrus, which is woven together in very fine threads. The cards are so strong; they can cut through nearly any surface. Its current location is unknown.

**_Chakram of Eternia, Lunar_**

These were the final weapons to be crafted. The twin rings were made of Aqua Ore, so it's another of the elemental weapons. They are easy to handle for skilled users, so only masters of this weapon should attempt to use it. It has the ability to regenerate the health of its bearer. Its current location is unknown.

Well, that's it for these weapons. I hope this explains what they can do better.


	7. Chapter 5

**Tales of Symphonia- The Aftermath of Yggdrasil Chapter 5**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Tales of Symphonia nor the characters or places in it. They are the property of their respective compaines, Namco Inc. and the like.**

_That night, out by the stable…_

Ricky sat amidst the strewn out hay, thinking deeply on his past. He knew what Kratos had been thinking when he'd finished his story. "I'll have to be ready when the time comes, when I have to fight Fia. If I don't have the will to fight, then we'll have already lost. Life is so cruel sometimes." he thought to himself. He knew that for a long while, he'd have both the will and courage to fight. But would he still have that in the end? He didn't admit it in front of the others, but he was deathly afraid of the outcome of this war. "Why must things end like this?" he said silently. He turned quickly when he heard footsteps behind him. "Oh, it's you Sheena." he said, sighing in relief when the raven-haired ninja walked over to him.

"You don't look so well. Shouldn't you be resting?" she asked, looking at him.

Ricky shook his head. "No, I am all right. I was going to bed in a second, but I needed to think for a little." he said, not looking at her. He couldn't let anyone see him in pain.

Sheena just shook her head. The guy was just as stubborn as she used to be. "You're thinking about _her_ aren't you? You're afraid of fighting her." she said, her voice becoming cold. She still harbored extreme hatred towards the woman who nearly killed Ricky.

Ricky did not look up. "Of course I'm afraid of it Sheena. To not admit it would be folly on my part. It's just that I've never loved anyone before Fia came along. To be betrayed in the worst way, by the one person I thought I could trust…is painful enough as it is." he said. He still didn't understand why Sheena had become so cold suddenly. It wasn't her problem, so why did she seem to make it so?

Sheena was becoming ever more jealous of Fia. Her years of ninja training beginning to fail her, she was overcome by her emotions. "Never loved anyone before her? That has got to be the most absurd thing I've ever heard! Everyone loves someone else before a serious relationship, even if it's only a childish love! You're not the only one to have been betrayed, so don't act like you are!" she exclaimed, the anger ever flowing from her like an intense heat.

Ricky stepped back, as if struck by this invisible heat. He could not believe what he was hearing. The famous Sheena Fujibayashi was losing her cool? "Sheena, I don't see what gives you the right to be angry. I have done nothing to you, and Fia is _my_ problem, not yours. Though you are right about what you said. I know countless people have been betrayed besides me, I am not dumb!" he said, the anger in his own voice rising up.

Sheena couldn't believe how he was acting. "You…you jerk! You act like everyone's out to get you now! You can't even see the people around you who care anymore! You're blind…to the people who love you." she said, the last part coming out so silently Ricky almost didn't hear her say it.

Ricky's face was a look of pure shock. So this was why she hated Fia so much. This was the answer to her anger and outburst. _"But how can she love me? Aside from the time we met a couple weeks ago, we barely know each other."_ he thought. He was at a loss as to what he should do. He was also afraid of what could happen to him should he let his guard down again. He didn't want another betrayal.

Sheena shook her head, her ninja training finally getting a hold of her. "I should never have said that. It's not like you seem to care anyways. I'm going inside now, so don't follow me. When we leave later this morning, do not speak to me." she said flatly, and began to walk back to the inn.

Ricky was no fool, and he was not about to let things end like this. He wasn't going to make the mistake he'd once made a second time. He walked forward and grabbed Sheena by the arm. "Sheena…please don't go." he said, his voice beginning to waver and crack.

If any other person had grabbed her arm, she would've knocked them flat on their behind. But hearing him like that, she couldn't move. "Ricky, how can you ask me not to go? Look at how we acted. Is that not enough to tell you that we can't continue this conversation?" she said, unsure of what to do.

"Sheena, I know. I know why you hate Fia so much, though you've never met her. I know why you've gotten angry and argued with me like this." he said, voicing his thoughts on the subject.

Sheena stiffened, and she turned to look at him. She no longer bothered trying to hide the fact that her face was blushing a deep shade of red. She had known many intelligent men before now, but Ricky seemed to be able to read people like books at times. "You…you know? Well…this isn't exactly how I pictured you finding out." she said, blushing even more.

"I know it's not Sheena. But you've also been blind to something else in your increasing hate for Fia. The thing you've been blind to…is the fact that I love you back." he said, his face now turning deep red. He couldn't believe he'd been so blunt about it.

Sheena's face was getting even redder now. But inside her heart was singing. _"He loves me back! I can't believe I'm hearing it, but he loves me back! This is the happiest moment of my life."_ she thought.

Ricky pulled her close to him, pressing himself against her. "Sheena Fujibayashi, I love you. I was just afraid that someone like you was too good for me." he said, holding her tight. He had been afraid that he wasn't good enough for her.

Sheena let her head rest on his chest, savoring the moment she had been afraid would never come. She turned her face slightly to look at him. "You not good enough for me Ricky Elusa? That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard." she said, grinning at him. She leaned up to him, her face getting ever closer to his.

Ricky's heart was beating real fast, and he knew what was coming. But he didn't let it stop him. He leaned down slightly and pressed his lips against hers. It was a gentle, subtle kiss at first, but it quickly became more heated. They stayed that way for what seemed like hours, until they pulled back from each other.

Sheena was blushing bright red. "That…that was amazing." was all she could manage to say. The kiss itself had been wonderful to her, but her mind's shock had kind of left her at a loss for words.

Ricky smiled, and kissed her lightly one more time. "Of course it was my dear Sheena. What did you expect?" he asked, smiling at her.

Sheena said nothing, and laid her head against his chest once again. She let her arms wrap about his waist, enjoying the moment they had together.

Ricky didn't want it to end either, but they needed to sleep. Though asking what he was going to ask was harder than it seemed. "Um, Sheena?" he asked, his face turning red again.

Sheena looked up, and noticed that his face was bright red. She just smiled to herself. "Yes Ricky?" she replied.

"Um, would you sleep with me tonight? Not in the way that pervert Zelos thinks, just next to each other." Ricky said, his face going even redder.

Sheena laughed a little at his comment about Zelos, and shook her head. "No, not tonight Ricky. We both know that the others don't need to know just yet. Besides, your sister seems a little apprehensive about me liking you." she said.

Ricky knew what she meant. He understood why Chocolat would act that way towards any girl who fell in love with him, since Fia had fooled them both. "I know Sheena, but don't worry about my sister. I'll talk to her when the time comes. Though we'd better get some rest, or the others _will_ find out." he said, laughing a little.

Sheena nodded, and pulled away from him. She placed her hand in his, and squeezed it. "Well, let's be going then shall we?" she told him.

Together they walked back to the inn, and kissed one last time. After saying good night to one another, they went to their rooms and fell fast asleep, each very happy with the way things had turned out. Though when they were outside, they hadn't noticed the two figures watching them silently.

_Outside on the Inn's rooftop…_

Kratos had been watching the two figures in the stable outside the Inn. Normally, he wouldn't have done something like this, but he made an exception in this case. When he'd first met Ricky in the Renegade Base, the boy had already been devastated by Fia's painful proclamation. He wanted to make sure that it didn't happen a second time. "Perhaps I was wrong about what I thought earlier. Maybe he'll be able to do it after all." he said in his usual manner.

"I never took you as someone who spied on two lovers Kratos." a voice said.

Kratos spun around, and saw Yuan standing behind him, a smirk on his face. "Oh, like this is the first time? You should know better, after what Mithos had asked me to do when you were with Martel." he said, the person he'd been four thousand years ago coming back.

Yuan's face went red at the reminder of that little incident. "So what's your point? I found out anyways, and Martel made Mithos pay for it too." he said chuckling. Indeed she had, because both Mithos and Kratos had been knocked senseless by Martel when she found out about it.

Kratos merely chuckled. "Perhaps, but that was then. I wanted to make sure he wasn't hurt a second time. Is that not also the reason why you gave him Martel's exsphere?" he asked at the end.

Yuan returned to his current state of mind, and nodded. "Of course it is Kratos. Martel would've done the same thing had our positions been reversed. At least she didn't become a maniac bent on ruling the world. The boy has seen enough pain already." he said.

"I agree. When he told us that neither of them would be around when this is all over, I was a bit surprised to say the least." Kratos replied. He looked down at where Noishe lay sleeping in the hay.

"I do not believe that Ricky will let it end like that. Though their relationship may be over, he doesn't seem like the type who will kill someone he still cares for." Yuan said.

Kratos raised an eyebrow. "He still cares for her? This is unexpected." he said.

Yuan chuckled. "Once again Kratos, you're blind to the larger picture. Ricky still cares for her as a friend, not in the way he once did. He told me that she didn't deserve to die, so he wants to try and save her from herself." he said.

Kratos said nothing in reply. He knew what Yuan had meant, and figured the rest out. "That sounds just like what Lloyd tried to do for Mithos, but it didn't work in the end." he said.

Yuan nodded in agreement. "Yes. Let's just hope that it doesn't end the same way this time. For Ricky and Fia's sake." he said.


	8. Chapter 6

**Tales of Symphonia- The Aftermath of Yggdrasil Chapter 6**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Tales of Symphonia nor the characters or places in it. They are the property of their respective compaines, Namco Inc. and the like.**

All of them awoke the next morning, getting up early so they could pack their gear for the trek across the desert. Ricky had been first awake, since he was accustomed to sleeping late and waking up early. The others soon followed, and they were all gathered at the table again. However, this time Sheena took the chair next to Ricky, and stayed close to him. This earned them looks from the others, and an unsure glance from Chocolat.

"So, which of the weapons is at the Seal of Fire?" Lloyd asked, eager to see another of these mighty weapons.

"The next one is known as the Dagger of Eternia, Excelion. It's made of a powerful material that is no longer of this world. It's called firestone." Ricky said, looking at the others. Without looking down, Ricky placed his hand on Sheena's, and he felt her squeeze it in response.

Zelos whistled, and looked up. "I've heard of that stuff before. It's supposed to be very powerful, but unobtainable. The researchers at Sybak would probably kill to get their hands on it. Looks like I'll be getting it though." he said, giving a smug grin.

Raine shook her head. "But it's not going to be easy, is it? I suppose there are traps of sorts?" she asked Ricky.

Ricky nodded. "Not only traps, but monsters too. These aren't your ordinary ones either. They were placed there to guard the weapon, which means you'd better be prepared. They're strong, and very fast. One wrong move…and it's all over." he said.

"I suppose you would know. Since you've obtained one of the weapons, wouldn't you be able to give us some pointers on these beasts?" Regal asked.

Ricky shook his head. "I'm not sure I can Regal. I was told that the monsters are different at each location. Different types to guard different weapons. Something tells me we won't see any of the ones I've encountered." he said.

"Is it going to be dangerous?" Colette asked. She would go regardless, but she wanted to know.

Once again, Ricky nodded. "Yes, it will be dangerous. The monsters are stronger than the ones you faced on Derris-Kharlan. It would be best to train a little before we decide to tackle the tomb." he said.

Genis looked up. "A tomb? What do you mean by that?" he asked quizzically. He had never heard of there being a tomb beneath the Seal of Fire.

"Ruins below ruins? Fascinating!" Raine exclaimed, getting that look in her eyes again.

"The tomb was built under the Seal of Fire to mask its presence. While the Seal is much older, the tomb itself is far more dangerous." Ricky replied.

"So we are going now then?" Presea asked.

Ricky nodded once again. "Yes. We should grab our gear and head out now." he said, rising from the table. He walked into his room, and the others went to theirs.

Chocolat walked into her brother's room while he was grabbing a few more things. "Ricky, can I talk to you for a moment?" she asked.

He knew what was coming, even before he agreed. "Yes, of course. What is it Chocolat?" he asked, turning to look at her.

Chocolat fiddled with her fingers as she sat down. "Um, I think there's something you should know." she said.

Ricky nodded. "Ok. What is it sis?" he asked.

"Ricky, I think Sheena likes you. She was in your room while you were still knocked out. And she was sitting close to you today too." she said finally.

Just as Ricky had thought, this was what she wanted to talk about. "Chocolat, I already know. She visited me at the stable last night." he said.

Chocolat had not known about this. "Your thinking spot? Why did she come out there?" she asked.

"Well, you see. Chocolat, Sheena and I have admitted our feelings to each other." he said, the color in his face rising.

Chocolat was stunned. "You…you what? You mean you like her back?" she asked, shocked.

"Yes Chocolat, I do. Though I more than like her. I love her." he said, not meeting her gaze. He knew what was coming.

"How can you love her!? Look at what happened when you loved Fia! She nearly killed you almost. How can you love another?" she asked, quite upset by this.

Ricky sighed, and looked up. "Chocolat, I've felt incomplete ever since Fia left. I know I've only just met Sheena, but it feels right. It's like she and I were meant for each other." he said, not knowing how else to put it. He felt like Sheena was the part of him that had been missing for so long.

Chocolat shook her head. "I guess you've done a lot if thinking since then Ricky. I'm sorry for overreacting, I just don't want to see you hurt again." she said, hugging him tight.

No matter how many times she did that, Ricky would always be embarrassed when Chocolat hugged him. "Don't worry, I won't be. I'm just worried what Fia might do when she finds out." he said. He knew of course that she'd be incensed.

Chocolat smiled at her younger brother. "Don't worry, she won't be able to hurt Sheena. Her knight in shining armor will be there to protect her." she said, grinning as Ricky's face blushed.

He got up and slung his pack on his shoulders. "Well, I guess this is it. We'll stop back in again after we've gone into the tomb. After that, it'll be awhile before we see each other again." he said, looking at his sister.

She nodded, trying to hold back her tears. She hugged her brother tight, and smiled. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. You just go and kick Fia's butt. I'll be waiting for you and Sheena to come back." she said to him.

He nodded. "Don't worry sis, we'll be back." he said, smiling as he went outside.

_In Lloyd and Colette's room…_

Lloyd was sitting on his bed thinking back to his earlier adventures. If anyone had told him he'd be saving the world a second time, he wouldn't have believed them. "This is all happening way too often now." he said, chuckling as he sat next to Colette.

Colette leaned against Lloyd, and closed her eyes. "Yeah, but it's nice. Things have been quiet for a long time now. It's nice to have something to do for once." she said, nibbling Lloyd's ear.

Kratos just smiled at his son and future daughter-in-law. "Your mother would be proud of you Lloyd. Look at how far you've come, and what you have done. Anna would be happy to know that you are well." he said.

Lloyd nodded. "Yeah. But I wonder what mom would think of me running off all the time to save the world?" he said, laughing.

That caused Colette and Kratos to laugh too. "I'm sure she'd be happy Lloyd. As long as I'm with you, I'll always be happy." Colette said, snuggling against him.

"Lloyd, I won't be joining you on this journey." Kratos said.

Lloyd's head shot up, and he looked at his dad. "What? Why not dad?" he asked.

"This is not my battle anymore Lloyd. Cruxis and Mithos are no longer around, which means my journey has come to an end. I shall remain here and watch Ricky's sister. It would be best that I do so. That way I'll be in range of both here and Iselia should something happen." he said.

Lloyd put his head down, and nodded. "I guess it's for the best. But why do you put so much faith in Ricky?" he asked.

Colette looked at Lloyd. "He and I are alike in one thing Lloyd. We are sensitive to other people's feelings. That, and he seems to be a good cook." she said, smiling at her boyfriend.

"She's right Lloyd. I haven't eaten that much since your mom cooked for me." Kratos said, laughing. "Besides, he has angelic powers, like Colette, Zelos, and yourself. You'll be fine." he said.

Lloyd nodded, and he and Colette stood up. "Well, we better get going. Ricky is waiting." he said.

Kratos nodded, and stepped aside. "All right. Good luck Lloyd, and take care Colette." he said as they walked out.

_In Genis' room, where he and Presea sat…_

Genis had felt wonderful the past couple of days. He and Presea had admitted their love to each other, and were happily spending time together. "Presea, I wish this didn't have to end." he said sadly.

Presea lifted his chin to face her, and kissed his lips. "It isn't going to end here silly. We're just going on another journey together. We'll have lots of time afterwards." she said smiling.

Genis blushed, and kissed her hard on the mouth. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "You're right Presea. Thank you…for believing in me." he said.

"I've always believed in you. You stood by me the whole time back when we first met. Even when I couldn't say or do anything to tell you how I felt, you stood by me. That means a lot to me." she said.

"This journey will be dangerous Presea. Do you want to go through with it? I don't know what I'd do if I lost you…" he said, looking down again.

Presea smiled, and drew him into her arms. "Nothing will happen to me. I have you to protect me." she said, smiling.

He smiled back, and helped her up. "Well, we should get going. The others are probably waiting for us." he said.

She nodded, and together they left the room.

_Outside the Triet Inn…_

Ricky and Sheena waited for the others to come out. One by one, they all came out. When they were all there, Ricky spoke. "This is it guys. This will be my biggest adventure, and your second of this kind. Let's make sure each one of us comes back." he said.

They all nodded. "I'll watch your sister Ricky. I'm at a good location to go back between here and Iselia should anything happen." Kratos said.

Ricky nodded, and looked at the others. "Well, it's time for us to go. To the Seal of Fire!" he shouted, and walked to the exit with Sheena.

The others followed, and soon they were lost amidst the whirling sand.

"_They'll all be fine. I just hope Ricky gains the resolve he needs to do what must be done. The fate of this quest rides on his shoulders."_ Kratos thought before turning and going back inside.


	9. Chapter 7

**Tales of Symphonia- The Aftermath of Yggdrasil Chapter 7**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia or any of the characters. They are the property of Namco Inc. I do however, own the character Ricky Elusa and any other OC characters in my fic._**

The arid desert air whipped up around the group as they traveled across the desert. The sun had been unusually hot, as if it sensed the group's purpose and wanted them to go no further. Ricky and Sheena stood close together, as did Lloyd and Colette, and Genis and Presea. The talked little at times, save only when someone needed water or a little bit of food. As they drew near to the Triet Ruins, a group of cloaked figures appeared out of nowhere.

Ricky tensed and reached for his sword. He knew all to well just who these people were. "What do you want this time? Didn't Fia learn last time what happens when she tries to take me by force?" he growled, pointing his blade forward.

The leader stepped forward and let his hood drop. He had deep blue hair and seemingly blood red eyes. His white armor glinted in the harsh desert sun whenever it was revealed by the wind. "So we meet at last, Ricky Elusa. You can't possibly begin to understand how annoying it has been to track you down." he said in a rather bored tone. The men behind him shifted uneasily, none of them wanting to face _both_ the eight Heroes of Symphonia and the guy who'd defeated four of their Assassins at one time.

Ricky was silent for a moment, not sure how to respond. He could tell right off that this guy was no ordinary Assassin. He had to work directly for Fia herself. Sheena could sense his uneasiness, which only served to make her angry. She took a step forward and faced the man, who turned to face her. "Well it's too bad it took you so long, because you've come all this way for nothing. So you can march back to Fia and tell her he's not coming!" she said vehemently.

"Sheena calm down. It's not wise to get yourself upset over what this man says." Regal insisted. He'd been watching the other men behind the leader, and they all appeared fidgety at best. _"Apparently, they do not wish to fight so many of us. If we could only use that to our advantage somehow."_ he thought. Then it hit him. "Raine, what do you think?" he asked, making a small and calculating gesture with his eyes.

Apparently Raine got the message, because she began to analyze the group before her. _"While we clearly have them outnumbered, I don't think this man would've come out in the open so boldly if he didn't think he could hold up a fight."_ she thought. She looked around a moment more, which unsettled the men even more.

One of the more foolish ones decided to step forward, which was a big mistake. The moment he tried to lunge at Raine, an icicle appeared out of the ground and slammed into the assassin, causing him to be thrown backwards. "Don't even _think_ about harming my sister you dumbass." Genis said rather forcefully.

The leader smirked at this, and drew his weapon. It was a lance of some kind, marked with ancient characters. Seeing their leader draw his weapon, the assassins did the same. "I take it you wish to fight then? So be it fools. But I can assure you that the only one of you who will be alive after this is Ricky. As for the rest of you...Lady Fia has no qualms about us eliminating you." he declared. With a battle cry he leapt forward at Ricky, who parried his blow with his sword.

These actions caused the others to draw their weapons and attack. Settling back into battle was easy for them, as it hadn't been too long since their last fight. Raine moved to the back so she'd be at a safe distance to heal, Genis joining her as he cast various mid-level attack spells. Regal began to attack with his feet even though his hands were free. Truth be told, he'd become stronger with his current techniques than with the ones he'd used with his hands. Lloyd and Presea attacked the men at close range with their weapons, dodging in and out of attacks at various points in the battle. Colette was floating off the ground (without her wings showing), throwing her chakrams as Sheena backed her up with her cards. This left Ricky to face the leader of the group himself, though he had no objections to that.

The mysterious man was apparently an expert with the lance he used. Ricky was hard pressed to block the attacks he threw at him. _"How on earth do I block a lance? It's like a staff, so he could easily attack me with the other end without warning."_ he thought. As he brought Exushia up to parry the blow, he was able to briefly see the characters on the weapon's wooden handle. He knew those runes all too well, as he'd seen them in the Temple of Etherlight . It was there that he'd gotten the first of the Weapons of Eternia. "Not as cocky as you were before, now are you Ricky?" the leader taunted, which brought Ricky out of his stupor. Thrusting back at the man with a Lightning Blade, he gave a satisfactory smirk as he saw the pain cross the assassin's face. "Being cocky has nothing to do with it." he replied, quickly hitting the man with a Super Lightning Blade. He then parried the lance as it came down, but his worst fears hit him…and they did it quite literally. As he blocked the blade of the lance tip, he was shocked only for a second before the lower half of the lance struck him square in the front. He flew backwards with a strangled cry, crashing into the wall of the Triet Ruins with a resounding thud.

"Ricky! Oh no, he's unconscious!" Sheena cried, using a Pyre Seal to finish off an assassin. She rushed to Ricky's side and tried to get him to wake up. But apparently, he was indeed unconscious. She tried using a Miracle Gel, but it only worked slightly. He was up, but just barely. "You all right Ricky?" she asked, worry on her face. Ricky nodded slightly, still in too much pain to move properly. Very angry, Sheena shot up and began to attack the leader with a fury. "Pyre Seal! Demon Seal! Power Seal Pinion!" she shouted in quick succession, throwing three attacks at the man.

Dyaos was not expecting it, so he was quite easily thrown backwards. He snarled as he felt pain shoot up his backside, getting to his feet enraged. "You've got some nerve attacking me girl. So forgive me if I don't mind skewering you right now!" he snarled, rushing at Sheena with his lance held high. "Die you worthless fool! Dark Lance!" he cried, his lance glowing a dark purple-black as he thrust it at Sheena. As he did so, a ghostly lance appeared in front of it, mimicking the actions of its solid counterpart.

"Not so fast there dude!" a voice called, and Zelos appeared in front of Sheena. He used his Guardian technique to shield her from the blow. "You all right there my cute hunny?" he asked, not meaning it in his usual manner. Sheena only nodded, caught off-guard by the man's attack. Zelos then proceeded to pick up where Ricky left off, with Sheena helping him out. The constant barrage of Lightning Blades and Pyre Seals were beginning to take their toll on Dyaos.

As Ricky watched the scene with bleary eyes, he couldn't help but feel hurt when Zelos protected her, and then had the nerve to call her 'my cute hunny'. _"I know I should be grateful that she's ok, and I am. I just can't help but wish it was me. Why did I have to let my guard down…?"_ he thought.

The battle was quickly dieing down, as all the assassins but Dyaos had been defeated. With everyone now focusing on attacking him, Dyaos knew he couldn't win this time. He cursed himself for foolishly thinking he could take all of them on. "You may have won this round, but it's not over! I won't give up until I've done what Lady Fia wishes." he shouted. But what he'd seen during the battle made him curious. _"That girl, Sheena was it? She seemed as if she was in love with Ricky. Heh, Lady Fia isn't going to like that piece of news. Although…the way she looked at that man, Zelos, after he saved her. Something tells me that it's only going to cause complications. I might be a cold and ruthless assassin, but even I know a disaster when I see one."_ he thought to himself. He merely spun to face Ricky, and sneered at him. "I won't fight you in your current condition. There is no honor in defeating an opponent who cannot fight back." he said.

Ricky merely frowned at him. "Don't worry; I plan on fighting back next time. You'll be the one who ends up unconscious." he retorted.

Dyaos smirked, impressed by his target's brashness. It'd been sometime since he'd had a worthy opponent. He decided to let him stew over what he'd learned. "Apparently you've moved on from Lady Fia haven't you?" he said, satisfied when Ricky winced. "I should caution you to be careful of whom you let into your heart Elusa. You may come to find that you'll only end up betrayed again. I am Dyaos…and we shall meet again." he said, vanishing as he spoke.

The silence was at best palpable as the group walked into the Triet Ruins. Ricky was being unusually distant from Sheena, as he was being supported by Regal as he walked. By the time they made it to the entrance to the Seal of Fire, the sun had gone down. "I suggest we camp here tonight. While it'll be cooler out here, it will be much cooler the further we go down." Regal said. It was true, since no one knew what to expect when they entered the tomb beneath the Seal. "Besides, Ricky needs to rest after what happened earlier today." he added, seeing Ricky wince as he laid against a nearby crumbling piece of wall.

After their tents had been set up, the group dispersed for the night. They'd eaten a light supper, talking a bit all the while. Sheena had tried several times to strike up a conversation with Ricky, but he acted like he couldn't hear her. Lloyd and Colette shared a tent, as did Genis and Presea. Regal, Raine, Zelos, Sheena, and Ricky each had their own separate tents. It was in here that Ricky replayed the day's events over in his mind.

He'd seen what had happened after he'd been left sitting against the wall during battle. He couldn't blame them, knowing it was own fault that he'd messed up. _"They were barely holding up as it was. Apparently the assassins have been trained even harder after my first run-in with them. Sheena and Zelos seemed to hold themselves pretty well against Dyaos."_ he thought, but it was there that he stopped. He felt a pain in his heart, a pain he knew all too well. _"I don't get why Dyaos told me to watch who I let into my heart. I know for a fact though that Fia's going to have a fit when she hears about Sheena. Speaking of which…I remember the way she looked at Zelos when he'd saved her."_ he mused, the pain in his heart growing. He knew that look when he saw it, and he wasn't happy. It made him feel as if he was alone again. His personal musings were cut short when he heard his tent flap moved aside.

His hand had no sooner gone to his weapon then he saw Sheena come inside, an unreadable expression on her face. She was carrying a blanket with her, as it was cold outside. She silently walked over and sat down a few feet away from Ricky. Her hands were twisting her blanket, and she looked nervous. "Ricky…why have you become so distant in such a short time?" she asked tentatively.

"Sheena, I…" he began.

Sheena faced him with a tear-streaked face. "How could you be so cold like that? After what happened today, after what we talked about at the Inn . Why? Why are you being like this?" she asked him.

Ricky hung his head, scared of telling her what he thought. "Despite being knocked out of the battle, I was able to watch what happened. I saw Zelos save you…and I wished it was I who'd saved you." he said, still not looking at her.

"That's why you've been so cold? You're jealous because Zelos saved me and not you?" she exclaimed, getting agitated with him. Seriously, how could anyone be jealous of _Zelos_?

Ricky was silent for a moment. "I guess I am jealous because of that. But what about the look you gave him when he did? I saw that look Sheena, and I know what it means…" he said, saying it.

Sheena's eyes widened, and her face paled. _I should caution you to be careful of whom you let into your heart Elusa. You may come to find that you'll only end up betrayed again._ Now she knew why Dyaos had said that. He had seen the brief look she'd given Zelos, and knew that those cryptic words meant to convey that information to Ricky. "Ricky, I'm…" she started.

"You're what Sheena, sorry? How can I believe you after seeing that? Do you know how much it hurt to see that look in your eyes, only directed at Zelos? It hurt…it hurt a lot." he said, the tears now forming in his own eyes.

Sheena tried to put an arm around him, but he flinched away from her touch. It was too much for Sheena to bear, and she stood up and ran from his tent and into her own. She flung herself down on her sleeping bag and cried her heart out. _"How…how could I have been so stupid? I love Ricky, yet I went and hurt him by giving a loving look to Zelos. Why…?"_ she thought. If only she knew that Zelos was trying to figure that out himself.

Zelos sat in his own tent, thinking of the past days events. But one in particular was troubling him, and it was the same one that now troubled Ricky and Sheena. _"Sheena's with Ricky, so why on earth did she give me that look? I'm with Kate now anyways…or I used to be. Heh, the great Zelos can't even admit to his friends that he's broken up with his half-elf girlfriend because he cheated on her."_ he thought. He lay back down on his sleeping bag, looking up into the stars. _"Man, Ricky was betrayed once before. Martel only knows what he'll do if it happens again…"_ he finished. He fell asleep not too long after that.

_At one of the Azura bases…_

Dyaos nervously made his way to the room in which Lady Fia was currently reading. He knew she awaited his report, and he hated to be the one to have to give it. _"This is NOT going to go over well with her."_ he thought. The guards at the entrance nodded as he approached, and opened the door to admit him.

Fia looked up from where she was sitting and waited for Dyaos to speak. She'd been looking at the picture of her and Ricky yet again, because the memories held in the simple photo actually gave her peace. _"Why…why is it that I seem to have trouble remembering the time when he and I first met? Why do I always feel as if the memory is just out of reach?"_ she wondered. It was almost as if someone had purposely blocked the memories surrounding the first few months Ricky and Fia had met. It was around the same time Ieros had approached her concerning his organization, Azura.

"Lady Fia, I've brought my report to you." Dyaos said nervously.

Fia knew that it wasn't good. The way he held himself right now was easy enough proof. "Well? Did you get him this time?" she demanded.

Dyaos sagged his head in defeat. "I'm sorry my Lady, but we did not. It wasn't easy, seeing as how he was traveling with the Heroes of Symphonia at the time. We engaged them in battle, with Ricky and myself battling one another. I managed to subdue him, but not before Sheena Fujibayashi attacked me out of nowhere. She was an impressive fighter, but I would've had her beaten if Zelos Wilder hadn't interfered. The way that Sheena seemed to become angry with me when I hurt Ricky suggests only one thing. She's in love with him, and he her." he finished.

Fia had been mad before, but she was angry now. "He's…she's…how can he do this to me!?" she shouted in rage. She was angry that Dyaos had failed to bring Ricky to her, angry that this Sheena girl had taken Ricky from her, angry that Ricky would let her. "You will keep on attacking them until you get Ricky! Now just…GET OUT!!!" she yelled.

Dyaos was shaken up pretty bad right now. But he kept a neutral expression on his face, and with a short bow he sped out of the room. "Someone else needs to give her the report." he muttered to himself. He also realized that he'd left out a crucial piece of information. _"Oh man, when Lady Fia finds out that I forgot to mention something, she's going to flip."_ he thought.

Back in her room, Fia was silently trying to calm herself. She couldn't understand why she'd let herself get worked up like that. _"He's with someone else now, so there's nothing I can do. But even after he spurned my love…why do I feel so upset!? Argh, the only way I'll get answers is if Dyaos manages to bring Ricky to me!"_ she thought. With that in mind, she retired to her chambers for the night.

_The following morning, at the entrance to the Seal of Fire…_

Just like last night, breakfast had been a silent affair. It was even worse than dinner had been the night before. Lloyd and the others noticed that Ricky and Sheena were not standing so close together, and it made them worry. What had happened to the couple during the night?

"We should turn left here. The right side entrance was destroyed in a recent quake." Ricky said, turning left as they went into the Seal. As he walked, he saw a glowing circle of light at the top of a nearby flight of stairs.

Colette was excited because it had been a long time since she'd been back here. "I remember that light well. It's the portal that takes us right to the Seal of Fire and the Summon Spirit Efreet." she said, almost sounding like Raine.

Sheena remembered coming here also, but to make the pact with the Summon Spirit of Fire, not to obtain angel wings. "Let's get going then, shall we?" she said in a hollow sort of voice.

The group was silent as they all stood in the circular portal. As the light enveloped them, Ricky saw Sheena give him a fleeting look for a moment before she looked away. _"I should probably apologize to her for that. But now's not the time to let my guard down."_ Ricky thought. He looked around the room as he saw the Chamber of Fire.

"Ricky, what are we looking for that serves as the entrance into the tomb?" Raine asked, a whole load of more questions waiting.

Ricky looked around for a moment, and found what he'd been looking for. Right behind the Seal of Fire was an old structure. It was small, with archaic writing on it, and a small indentation below it. "This is what we're looking for Raine. This is the door to the Tomb of Ancient Fire." he said.

Raine excitedly looked over the structure, commenting on how incredible it was. She tried to read the writing, but found that she could not. "I don't understand this language at all. How can we decipher it?" she thought aloud.

_"If ye seek the dagger of fire's might, you must first offer the blade of divine retribution. For that is the key to opening the way to Excelion, the fabled Dagger of Eternia."_ a clear voice rang out. Everyone turned around to find that it was Ricky who spoke those words. He walked forward to the ancient entrance, and drew Exushia.

"How do you know what it says? Even Raine couldn't read the writing." Lloyd said. He had to say that he was impressed that anyone could.

Ricky smirked as he raised Exushia and thrust it into the indentation at the base. It went into the hole with a small click. "Because I was taught how to read it by Yuan. He had the only book on it, but even he couldn't read it. So he gave it to me when he discovered I could read it, so he _did_ teach me in a way." he said as a rumbling sounded.

The structure slid back as Ricky took Exushia from the indentation. As they walked inside the rather large room, a booming voice interrupted their looking. _"Who dares enter the Tomb of Ancient Fire? Why do ye seek the power of the Dagger of Eternia?"_ it asked.

Not knowing what to do, the others looked to Ricky for help. Sighing, he stepped forward about fifty feet, ahead of him the marble base on which the Dagger of Eternia lay. "We come seeking a way to fight the Darkness. We seek to fight the one who calls himself Ieros, and his organization known as Azura." he stated in a clear voice.

The voice in the room materialized in front of them. It looked between half-human, half-dragon. The very air around it seemed as if it were on fire. Its face was in what could only be described as a scowl. "How do you know of the Accursed One, of Ieros?" it demanded.

"Who is Ieros, that even a Guardian of one of the Weapons would know him?" Sheena asked rather brazenly.

The Guardian studied her for a moment before it replied. "I am called Tanul, Guardian Dragon of the Dagger. You wish to know of Ieros, and so you shall. He is an evil being that has existed for centuries, preying on the darkness in people's hearts. Ages ago, the ones who watched over this world were left with little choice but to seal him away. It was no easy task, so they forged weapons of great power from materials that are no longer of this world. Using the eight Weapons of Eternia, the Guardians were able to seal Ieros away in a black stone monolith, hoping he'd be there for all eternity." he stated. He drew a shuddering breath as he finished.

"Why would he break free now? How was it even possible?" Regal asked.

Tanul thought for a moment. "It is possible that the strain put upon the two worlds by the War of Symphonia only helped to weaken the seal. No doubt that when the two worlds were reunited, the monolith was destroyed entirely, thus breaking the seal completely." he said.

Lloyd's face went white, and he dropped to his knees. "So…I'm the one who broke the seal? It's all my fault…" he said forlornly. Colette dropped down next to him and wrapped her arms around him. "It's ok Lloyd." she whispered to him.

The Guardian smiled at the display of affection. "No, it is not your fault young Aurion. The seal had been weakened enough already over the four-thousand year period of time following the Kharlan War. Even if you had not reunited the two worlds, the seal would have broken on its own eventually." Tanul stated.

Lloyd rose to his feet, still shaky. "Then…how can we fight Ieros?" he asked.

"By doing what Ricky Elusa has no doubt already told you to do. You must find the remaining Weapons of Eternia and use them to destroy him for good this time." he finished.

Zelos chose this moment to walk forward. He had an excited grin on his face. "So I guess I can just take the Dagger of Eternia then? I mean, we're all going to kick his butt." he told Tanul.

Ricky shook his head, and Sheena heard him mutter the word 'idiot' under his breath. Apparently she wasn't the only one who thought that it wasn't going to be that easy.

Tanul growled low in his throat, causing Zelos to step back. "A fool you are Zelos Wilder, if you think it will be that easy. To claim the Dagger of Eternia, you must first defeat the Guardian who watches over it." he said.

"Namely…we must fight you in order to earn the right to use Excelion?" Presea enquired.

Tanul actually smiled for a moment, then his face hardened. "Indeed young one, you are correct. Now, draw your weapons and let us begin this fight!" he shouted.

Ricky rushed forward first, having already drawn his own weapon. Their strategy was almost like the fight with Dyaos had been, except no one used any fire-based attacks. Raine cast some offensive and defensive barriers, both of the physical and magical type. Regal had equipped his Aqua Greaves and was attacking with a flurry of kicks. Presea used only her non-elemental axe attacks and swung it near the dragon's wings. Colette threw her chakrams at Tanul from a distance, using her Angel techs every now and then for support. Zelos joined Ricky as they both faced Tanul head on, Sheena casting S. Seal: Water and summoning Undine now and again, switching between doing that and attacking herself. Genis was using only Water or Ice-Based magical attacks. Lloyd was using his Kusanagi Blade, since the Material Blades wouldn't work well in this fight.

"Sonic Sword Rain!" Ricky yelled. He attacked with a flurry of wind-like thrusts which Tanul dodged.

"Demon Seal!" Sheena said. She was able to hit him, but it didn't appear to faze him.

"Freeze Lancer!" Genis called, the spikes of ice heading for Tanul's chest area. _That_ actually caused the Guardian to howl in pain.

"Swallow Kick!" Regal yelled, striking from the air with the power of water. Tanul once again grunted with the pain.

"How about I attack you now! Flare Burst!" Tanul yelled. A circle with ancient designs appeared below the nine people. A rumbling sound was heard as fire began to flow upwards at a blinding speed. The Heroes and Ricky guarded, but the attack was still enough to knock them down. "Had enough yet?" Tanul taunted.

"Not nearly enough! Revitalize!" Raine cried, using one of her most powerful healing spells. Everyone was instantly back on their feet.

"Devastation!" Presea shouted, swinging her axe in an arc. It cut through Tanul's wings, which caused the Guardian to cry out in anger.

"Pyre Throw!" Tanul yelled, seizing Presea and throwing her into the wall of the Tomb. She was shaken, but still able to fight.

"You'll pay for that. Omega Tempest!" Lloyd yelled, jumping into the air and hitting Tanul with his spinning blades.

"Angel Feathers!" Colette said, the white feathers of light slamming into Tanul, causing him damage.

"Super Lightning Blade!" Zelos said, hitting with a blade of super-charged lightning.

"Eruption!" Tanul said, attacking them all once again with powerful fire.

Ricky could tell they were all becoming worn out. He had one idea that just might work. "Colette, Lloyd, Sheena! We need to use a Unison Attack to finish him off!" he yelled to them. They all nodded in response.

"Sonic Sword Rain!" Ricky cried.

"Hammer Rain!" Colette added.

"Sonic Thrust!" was Lloyd's attack.

"Mirage Seal!" Sheena said.

The tell-tale light of a Unison Attack surrounded not one group, but both groups of two. Ricky knew it had been a risky shot, but they appeared to have pulled it off. Tanul knew what was coming, and he knew he was beaten. "Well done, all of you." he whispered to himself.

"Get ready for this…Stardust Rain!" Ricky and Colette yelled as one. Hundred's of tiny stars fell from the sky, and since Tanul was a bit on the tall side, he got hit with a lot of them.

"Follow it up…Mirage Thrust!" Sheena and Lloyd said together. A shining seal appeared in front of Lloyd as he thrust through it, taking its power with him as he slammed into Tanul.

Tanul flew into the wall near the weapon. He struggled to his feet, and looked at the nine warriors proudly. "You have done well, all of you. I must admit that I'm rather impressed with how you went about this battle. You've earned the right to use the Dagger of Eternia…but only if Excelion believes you to be ready." he said, motioning for Zelos to approach the dais.

"Heh, I've got no problem with that." Zelos replied as he walked up to the dais.

_"You who have passed the Trial of the Guardian, you may now claim Excelion as yours. However, if you cannot pick it up, then you will have been deemed 'unready' to use it. Now face the final trial, and good luck."_ said another voice.

Zelos confidently walked up the last step onto the stone dais. The Dagger of Eternia lay there in all its glory. The sheath was carved of an odd material, which looked to be some type of fire-resistant polished wood. Excelion itself was lying above it, its blade glowing with innate heat. The hilt was encrusted with a single red gem in the side, and ancient markings were on the blade itself. "Well, time to claim my prize." Zelos said. As he made to touch the dagger, a barrier forcefully threw him off of the dais.

Tanul's eyebrows went up, but he said nothing as Zelos got up. Walking over to Ricky, he laid his hand on Ricky's forehead. "Since you were the one who obtained Exushia, it falls to me to grant you the spell that goes along with it. I give you the knowledge to use Flare Burst. Use it wisely." he told him. A bright red light was seen for a quick second before vanishing, leaving Ricky a little dazed.

"I can…use Flare Burst now. I will use it only when I must Guardian Tanul." Ricky replied, bowing before him.

"How come the Dagger threw me off? Why did it reject me!?" Zelos whined.

"Perhaps you should question 'What did you do to warrant it rejecting you?' instead of whining about it." Regal replied.

The other voice spoke again. As it did so, the Dagger and its sheath floated into the air, and landed in the hands of Ricky. Zelos was upset, but he was prevented from saying anything by the voice. "Your arrogance that you still carry with you appears to have caused the Dagger to reject you. Only when you can overcome this obstacle will Excelion allow you to wield it. Until then the Sage of Eternia must hold on to it, as decreed by its creators." it said.

Ricky said nothing as he sheathed Excelion and stuck it in his pack. "I will honor your request Feena, Guardian of the Temple of Etherlight. " he said. The voice chuckled as if in response. "I was afraid you'd forgotten me Ricky. I am pleased to know that you haven't." it replied. It was obvious now that the Guardian of the Temple of Etherlight was a female one.

For a fleeting moment, Feena's clear laugh caused Ricky to remember Fia. She too had laughed like that once. Feena sensed this. "Only you know the truth of what happened then. If you still yet doubt it, look to your heart for the answers. Sometimes things happen for a reason Ricky, painful though they may be sometimes. You are the only one who can decide for yourself, no one else." she cryptically told him.

Although the others were confused by the words, Ricky knew what Feena was talking about. "I'll do that. Farewell for now Feena." he said, and he left the room with the others.

_After a long journey, the group finds themselves back at the Triet Inn. Though it does not seem like it, a month has passed since they set out from Triet. They sit now at dinner after a long day of bathing in the springs…_

Yet again, the silence was tense at the dinner table. Chocolat could tell that her brother was upset about something. It also seemed that Sheena and Zelos were both unnerved. _"Don't tell me that I was right. Did something happen that caused Ricky and Sheena to break apart? If something did…"_ she thought to herself.

Ricky had tried to apologize to Sheena for what had happened in his tent that night, but for some strange reason she wouldn't speak to him. He later found out from Lloyd and Colette that Sheena had been talking to Zelos about the events in the Tomb. Apparently Zelos was angry that he'd been rejected and Ricky was told to hold onto it. Sheena was angry that Ricky had been so cold, then wanted to apologize. According to Genis (who couldn't help but overhear them, since they _were_ talking pretty loudly), Zelos had made the comment that Ricky was pretty much an idiot loner who just chose to push people away. To Ricky's even greater hurt, Genis had told him that Sheena had agreed with the former Chosen of Tethe'alla.

Ricky looked up at the people seated with him and Chocolat. Presea and Genis were eating happily with one another, as were Lloyd and Colette. Kratos, Raine, and Regal were whispering to each other, and occasionally looking at Ricky. Zelos and Sheena were sitting near each other, and pointedly not looking at him. _"I've had enough of this. If those two want to continue to believe their own arrogant excuses, then so be it. I'm not going to let them ruin my dinner."_ he thought.

He made to get up from the table, and Chocolat saw him. "Ricky, where are you going? You're not done eating?" she asked. Ricky just shook his head, with a neutral expression on his face. "I'm just not hungry anymore." he said, and went into his room, slamming the door shut. The resounding thud echoed across the dining area.

Kratos was afraid something like this would happen. And talking with Regal and Raine about what happened only made him feel worse. _"I've got a bad feeling about this. Something's going to happen tonight that could reshape the nature of this quest. I only hope Ricky can get through it ok."_ he thought. After excusing himself from the table, Kratos went to his room to get some sleep. Come tonight, he didn't think anyone was going to.


	10. Chapter 8

**Tales of Symphonia- The Aftermath of Yggdrasil Chapter 8**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia or any of the characters. They are the property of Namco Inc. I do however, own the character Ricky Elusa and any other OC characters in my fic._**

As he sat in his room pondering what had happened, Ricky began to become increasingly afraid of what might happen that night. _"I don't understand why Sheena could just be like that all of a sudden. The weeks that we spent together prior to getting to the Tomb were great. We talked, laughed, kissed, and cuddled. We even looked at the stars together. But after that day…everything changed."_ he thought. He banged his hands on the wall in frustration. "This _cannot_ be happening again!" he shouted. He sighed and sat back down in the chair by his desk. A second later a knock was heard on his door. "Who is it?" he asked.

"It's me Ricky." said a soft feminine voice that he knew all too well. It was his sister.

"Come in Chocolat." he said, moving to one of the chairs by the small table in his room. The door shut behind her as he took a seat and faced her. He knew why she was here, and decided it was best to get it over with sooner rather than later. "Take a seat sis, I know why you've come." he stated flatly. Ricky noticed that Chocolat seemed tense as she sat, which only furthered his suspicions.

"Ricky, what happened to you and Sheena after you left? You two seemed so cozy then. Now…it's like you don't even know each other." she said. It was true when she thought about it. After the night they'd admitted their feelings to one another, Chocolat had seen how happy her brother and Sheena had been together. Yet now the air in the room seemed to grow cold whenever the two were in it.

Her brother sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "I'm afraid that things didn't seem to work out like we'd hoped Chocolat. I'm sure you heard from Kratos what Regal and Raine told him about what happened those couple days." he said.

Chocolat stiffened, and her face grew dark. Oh she knew what had happened, and she didn't like it one bit. "I tried to tell you Ricky, but you didn't listen to me. First chance he got, that idiot Zelos not only turned her against you, he got her for himself. She could've listened to you, and yet she chose him over you. Sounds to me like she didn't care as much as you thought she did." she said.

Ricky's hand visibly clenched into a fist at the remark. He knew she was right about it. "I know, I know all too well now. And if you think that was bad enough, you haven't heard the worst part yet." he remarked sourly. Oh yes, there was something even worse that happened.

Chocolat's eyes narrowed, and her lips formed into a thin line. "What do you mean Ricky? Did something _else_ happen after you all came back?" she asked.

Ricky sagged his head, letting it rest on the table for a moment. When he looked back up, his eyes were shining and dripping with tears. "I tried one last time to apologize to Sheena, so I went to her room. But when I opened the door, I…she…" he started, openly crying yet again.

Although she was loathe for him to finish that statement, she needed to know. "What was she doing Ricky?" she asked.

Ricky tried to compose himself as he walked over to his bed. Sitting down on it, he put his face into his hands. "Chocolat, she was…she…SHE WAS MAKING OUT WITH ZELOS ON HER BED!!!" he yelled. He then flung himself onto his bed and cried.

Chocolat was really angry now. Without a word to Ricky, she got up from her chair and stormed out of the room. _"Oh, those two are going to pay for what they've done!"_ she thought. She headed straight for Sheena's room, intent on knocking the crap out of her. What she didn't know, was that the two were getting grilled by their friends just then.

_At the same time Ricky and Chocolat's conversation began, one of another sort took place in Sheena's room…_

After hearing about what had happened, Kratos decided to have them all sit down and talk about it. Sheena and Zelos had argued with him about it at that point, but he had none of it. After all, he was older than them by 4,000 years. "Now, you two are going to tell us what kind of hell you put Ricky through, and you are going to do it _now_!" he snapped.

Sheena made a snort at that remark. "Heh, he put himself through hell. He couldn't trust me so he decided to go all cold and crap." she replied.

"You've got to be kidding me. That is the lamest excuse I've heard you say all day. We know everything that happened, so don't try that with us." Raine replied, having had quite enough.

"Lame excuses huh? I suppose you're taking _his_ side just because he's probably bawling like a baby right about now?" Zelos retorted.

Colette fixed him with a glare so cold Zelos would've been a popsicle by now. "That was very rude Zelos. We know Ricky has tried to apologize, but you wouldn't have any of it Sheena. It's not his fault if you listen to the advice of someone who cheated on his girlfriend." she said.

Genis' eyes went wide. That was new information to him. "So you and Kate were already broken up because you cheated on her? I should've known you'd be stupid enough to do something like that. You and your talk about liking half-elves…lies I think." he said, anger in his voice.

"Pathetic, absolutely pathetic. You act the same way you did when we first met you. No wonder the Dagger refused you Zelos. You're still arrogant like before." Lloyd said. Then he turned to Sheena. "As for you, I thought better of you Sheena. Apparently I misplaced that trust." he replied.

"Oh come on, I can't believe you actually accept what he said over us. Some friends you all are." Sheena said coolly.

Regal shook his head in exasperation. "On the contrary, we listened to both sides of the story before coming to our conclusion. Ricky was insecure after what had happened with Fia, so it was only natural that he felt a little upset. You didn't give him time to sort things out and apologize. That is your own fault." he said.

Sheena glared at Regal. "Oh, so it comes back to _Fia_ again does it? Pathetic, using her as an excuse. What an idiot." she said.

"You are the idiot if you believe it to be the true depth of his pain. He asked for no pity, so Yuan and I gave him none when we first met him. He was indeed devastated over how Fia had duped him into thinking she loved him. Yuan attempted to get him to talk about it, but Ricky became angry when he asked him. The two didn't talk for a couple of weeks after that, he barely even said a word to me. I asked one day later why he became upset like that. It was what he told me that I didn't expect." Kratos said. He gathered himself for a moment before plunging on. "He believed that Fia had not been herself. When Ricky tried to confront her about it, she'd blown up on him." he said.

Everyone's eyes widened at the new knowledge. But it was Presea who voiced their thoughts. "That is so horrible. To have to go through that…" Presea exclaimed.

Kratos made to say something else, but was interrupted by the door to the room crashing open. Everyone turned their heads to see Chocolat towering in the doorway, her face livid with rage. "You…the both of YOU! How dare you do what you did to him! How dare you do that to my brother!" she yelled as she crossed the room. No one saw coming the punch that she threw at Sheena. The impact of the hit sent her careening into the side of the bed behind them.

"Why you rotten little bit…!" Zelos tried to say, but was stopped when Chocolat hit him in an altogether sensitive area. Zelos was down on the floor, gasping in pain.

Kratos gently tried to get Chocolat into one of the vacated seats, which he'd moved over in front of them. After a little bit (and some deep breathing) she managed to calm down. "Now why don't you tell us what happened? What made you punch Sheena and knee Zelos like that?" he asked.

"With all do respect, I don't think that was the best course of action. She should've waited before flying off the handle like that." Raine offered.

Genis gave his sister an icy glare. "Oh come off it Raine! This isn't something you can read about in some dusty old tome. This is real life here!" he retorted.

"I'm afraid I must agree with Raine on this. It wasn't wise to do that." Regal added.

Presea just looked at him like he was scum. "And this from the man who did anything to protect my sister? Pathetic Regal." she said.

Sheena and Zelos were on the bed by this point, and Raine and Regal had moved to stand by them. They were divided down the middle, and that _wasn't_ good. "Well well, it would seem there's a division of sorts here." a voice said in the doorway. They all turned to look and there Yuan was, standing in the doorway. He walked into the room with a sour look on his face. "I just tried to speak with Ricky, but he wouldn't allow me to. What's happened Kratos?" he asked his friend.

Kratos just shook his head. "Chocolat here was about to tell us that very thing." he said, sending a knowing look the girl's way.

"Well if you must know, what Sheena and Zelos did back at the Triet Ruins wasn't the worst blow to Ricky, so he told me." she said.

"What do you mean?" Yuan asked sharply.

Chocolat steadied herself. "Ricky tried one last time to apologize to Sheena, so he went to her room. When he opened her door, the sight that greeted him hurt him badly." she said. Everyone could see Zelos and Sheena blanch at this statement. What she said next would drive a wedge between the group for quite a while. "He saw Sheena and Zelos making out on her bed." she said, visibly shaking with anger.

The reactions from the group were mixed.

"That's a lie!" Zelos yelled.

"Another _story_ of his no doubt." Sheena said as well.

"Why did he have to lie about something like that?" Raine asked.

"Sad that he would say something like that." Regal replied.

Colette, Lloyd, Genis, and Presea were highly ticked off by this. They each had a nasty retort when they were interrupted again…by Ricky.

"Nice to see that I'm the topic of discussion." he said flatly. He was holding the travel bag he'd carried with him before he'd met the others. He also had Excelion belted to his waist.

"Going on a trip Ricky?" Yuan asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey, you can't take that! It's mi…ow!" Zelos started, but was shut up by Raine.

"Yes, I am in fact. If you don't mind, I'd like to use my old room at the Renegade base near the Tower of Salvation's ruins." he said.

Yuan regarded him closely before he nodded. "You may use it." was all he said.

As Ricky made to leave, the four who'd stood up for him made to follow him. "Where are you all going?" Kratos asked.

"Dad, we can't stand being around these four right now." he said, jerking his thumb at Sheena and the others.

"I have two extra rooms left, but you'd have to share." Yuan said uncertainly.

Colette nodded and walked over to stand beside Ricky. "That's fine with us." she said as Lloyd, Presea, and Genis walked over to her and Ricky.

"Chocolat, I don't know when I'll return, but take care alright? Yuan, I'll see you back at the base." he stated. Yuan nodded and vanished in a flash of light. Ricky turned to Kratos. "Take care of my sister for me. Don't let her out of your sight." he said.

Kratos knew what Ricky feared. He simply nodded.

"Take care Ricky, ok?" Chocolat said, hugging him tightly.

"I will sis, I will." he said. In a flash of light, Ricky and the others were gone.

Kratos turned and motioned to Chocolat, who followed him out of the room. As he turned to shut the door to the room, he gave them one last glare. "You brought this on yourselves." was all he said.

_Hours later at the Tower Renegade Base…_

Yuan sat in his office, the dim lights not helping his current mood. He'd been a little more than angry to find out what had happened to Ricky. "I'm sure he could've handled it better, but that was no excuse for the reactions he was given." he said to himself. Getting up, he walked over to the window that overlooked the ruins of what was once the Tower of Salvation. He sighed as he remembered those tumultuous days. "Oh Martel, what would you have said if you could see this?" he wondered. A beep from his desk jerked him out of his thoughts. Walking over to the desk, he hit the button on his video screen.

"I've done all I can that you asked of me Yuan." the voice said.

Yuan pursed his lips before he replied. "What were your findings then?" he asked.

The voice was hesitant for a moment. "It is as we both feared. She was apparently placed under some sort of mind altering control. Apparently Ieros didn't think she'd fight it." it replied.

Yuan sagged his shoulders in relief as he sat down. "Then there is still hope. How long before you think she'll completely break free of it?" he asked.

"From what I've observed, a few more months at the most. What are your final orders?" it asked.

Yuan paused for a moment. "When the time comes, I want you to bring her here. There's someone here that would very much like to meet her again." he said.

The person on the screen nodded. "Understood. I'll contact you when it happens. End transmission." the person said before the screen went black.

Yuan shifted his chair around to face the other person in the room. "What do you think Ricky?" he asked.

Ricky's face was an impassive mask. "I don't know about this. Despite what Feena told me, I'm still a little apprehensive about seeing Fia again." he said uncertainly.

"As to be expected. I'd think you a fool if you weren't. That, or exceedingly arrogant." Yuan replied.

Ricky nodded. "Indeed. I should retire to bed now. Our training will have to be doubled, now that our group size has been cut in half." he said, referring to he and the others (Lloyd, Colette, Genis, and Presea).

"Of course, you need to rest after what you went through yesterday. I may join your group since Kratos cannot offer his aid at the moment, which you know about. We shall see in the long run." he said.

Ricky nodded and with one last look at the blank screen, he left the room.

_As the days passed by, Ricky and the others trained hard. They did anything possible so that their skills could improve to match what should have been a group of nine. Even so, they knew they'd have an easier time than the others. Raine's knowledge of ancient archeology was good, but when it came to finding the Weapons of Eternia, Ricky was by far the expert. Their training was paying off, and they were about to get the chance to prove it…_

Lloyd and Genis were currently engaged in a fierce battle of steel and magic. With so much experience under their belts, they were pretty even for the most part. Although Lloyd had the advantage in speed, Genis wasn't too shabby with his rapid-fire spell casting either. Ricky was facing both of the girls, and having a hard time too. Who knew they could be so strong.

"You two are impressive. I've never had a better challenge." he breathed as he dodged another combo Fiery Devastation and Ring Whirlwind from Colette and Presea.

"Why thank you Ricky." Colette smiled as she attacked again. It was amazing how she could smile and attack at the same time.

"Indeed. You're not too bad yourself." Presea said, smirking as her hit finally landed home.

Ricky flew into the wall with a thud, but he got up. He was grinning from ear to ear. "Been a while since me and the wall had a chat eh?" he said.

This caused Genis and Lloyd to burst out in laughter. "You talked…to a wall?" Genis said, holding his sides as he chuckled. Lloyd knew what the joke was about, but it was still funny.

"Perhaps it's my turn to show you a thing or two. Volt Arrow!" he cried, using a powerful lightning spell. The triangle of lightning encircled Colette and Presea as they were attacked from both the sides and above. They went down, but got up after a few moments.

A clapping sound was heard from the side of the room. They all turned to see Yuan crossing the left side of the room to greet them. "Well done, all of you. You've vastly improved in the days since you got here. Very impressive, really." he said. Then his face took on a serious tone. "I think it's time to see just how much you've improved. Ricky, Lloyd, Presea, Genis, and Colette, I have a mission for all of you." he told them.

They noticed Ricky's face go white, and his hands had begun to shake. "Is this about what I think it is?" he asked.

Yuan nodded. "Indeed. It would seem that the time has come to bring Fia to us." he said.

"What? Why do you need her here? Wouldn't it only hurt Ricky?" Presea asked.

Yuan shook his head. "No, not after what we've discovered. While it's true that she hurt Ricky…it was not of her own free will." he stated.

This caused the four to gasp in shock. "You're saying she was controlled, by Ieros?" Lloyd asked.

"Exactly that Lloyd, exactly that. My inside informant has already gotten her out, but they are being pursued by Dyaos and his men. Most likely on Ieros' orders." he told them.

"Well then, let's go rescue her so she and Ricky can be reunited. So romantic!" Colette said, beaming.

This statement only made Yuan, Ricky, Genis, and Lloyd groan in response.

"You must leave now if you wish to reach them before Dyaos does. I've already packed your supplies in here. Good luck." he said, handing them a bag as he turned to leave the room.

Without a word to each other, the five dashed out the side of the base and off into the forest of Palmacosta.

_Somewhere in the forests of Palmacosta…_

A cloaked figure was running through the woods, carrying a person over their back. When Kuchinawa had agreed to be Yuan's eyes and ears inside Azura, he'd never expected his cover to be blown. "In any case, at least I fled before they took much notice." he said to himself. He started as he felt a sharp pain in his side, indicating he was nearly out of breath.

"Need a little help there Kuchinawa?" a voice to his right said.

The Mizuho ninja turned to see five people step out, four of them he knew. "It has been quite some time Lloyd Aurion. Ah, I see you have come as well Ricky." he said, slightly bowing to them.

Ricky bowed back, and nodded. "I felt it was something I had to do. Besides, I owe the guy who's pursuing you an arse kicking." he said.

Genis saw the girl with flowing green hair lying next to the ninja. "Is…that Fia?" he asked with bated breath.

Ricky's head snapped to where Genis was looking, and his eyes stared for what seemed like forever. "What happened to her?" he asked softly, dropping next to her, trailing her green tresses in his hands. There was a faraway look in his eyes.

"She's been drugged asleep apparently. When they got wind of her fighting back and breaking the memory spell, they slipped something into her drink. But…not before she finally knew everything. She'd been crying for hours on end before she fell asleep." the ninja replied.

Lloyd made to say something, but a cold laugh interrupted them. "Well well, we meet yet again Ricky. At least now I can kill two birds with one stone." a cold voice said. Out of the woods stepped Dyaos and five assassins. He wore a smug look on his face. "You still love her. Oh how she would've loved to know it. Too bad she's asleep." he said sarcastically.

Colette growled low in her throat. "Stupid idiot, drugging someone!" she said, throwing her chakrams at him. With the power she put behind it, Dyaos was cut quite easily in his side.

He growled in pain and anger. "I see that you've all improved since last we met. It's time to test that new strength of yours." he said, drawing his lance as his soldiers drew their own weapons.

"Time for round two Dyaos. And like I said before, _you'll_ be the one who gets their butt kicked this time." Ricky said as he stood protectively in front of Fia. He drew Exushia from its sheath and prepared for battle, as the others did the same.

"Let's do this!" Ricky and Dyaos both shouted. _The battle had begun…_


	11. Chapter 9

**Tales of Symphonia- The Aftermath of Yggdrasil Chapter 9**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia or any of the characters. They are the property of Namco Inc. I do however, own the character Ricky Elusa and any other OC characters in my fic._**

The clang of steel could be heard as Ricky and Dyaos faced off. The others in the group fell back into a pyramid formation. Genis was in the back casting magic, while Lloyd, Colette, and Presea were the base of the formation. They attacked with various magic and techniques as Ricky fought his own battle, all the while standing in front of Fia.

"Didn't I warn you Elusa? I told you to be careful of whom you let into your heart. Now look what has happened." Dyaos taunted as he attacked Ricky with his lance.

Ricky parried the blow, and avoided being nearly hit with the other end of Dyaos' weapon. "You think I didn't get it when you told me? Stupid fool, I knew what you meant, and I hated you for pointing it out." he said as he slashed at Dyaos. He was able to hit his mark, as Dyaos cried out in pain and slid backwards, nearly falling off his feet.

As he got up, Dyaos' eyes were livid with rage. He raised his lance, and a dark energy surrounded it as he did so. "You will pay for that you pathetic worm. Behold my power…Shadow Lightning!" he cried, throwing his lance downward into the ground. Dark, shadow-like bolts of energy struck out at Ricky, causing him no small amount of pain.

"Hold on, I've got you! Apple Gel!" Lloyd said as he threw an Apple Gel to Ricky, who caught it and ate it. Lloyd then resumed his attack on the assassin.

Ricky slowly got up. "I'm not through with you Dyaos. This will not end just yet." he said, charging at the man yet again. Just as he did so, a voice rang out in his head.

"_You must use the Dagger of Eternia, lest you fall in battle!"_ a voice, clearly Feena's, told him. Ricky started and dodged the blow from the lance. "But how can I use it? I'm not the one who's supposed to in the first place." he argued. Feena was in no mood for it at the time, so she spoke her mind. _"Ricky Elusa you idiot! You are the Sage of Eternia, and until such a time as the one who is meant to use Excelion can_, _you **can** use it. Now do it, or all this will have been for naught!"_ she yelled. Ricky knew she was right, and as he reached to grab Excelion, he felt it flash in acceptance. Drawing it, he faced Dyaos with a new determination.

Dyaos wasn't expecting Ricky to draw Excelion. _"Well this is a surprise. I thought only the wielders of the weapon could use it."_ he thought. He lunged at Ricky with his lance, intent on knocking him out again. But his attempt failed when Ricky parried the blow with both weapons. "Think you can still win huh? I highly doubt an extra weapon will help you!" he yelled.

By this time, Lloyd and the others had defeated most of the assassins, and the rest were fleeing the scene. "We should help Ricky out." he said, starting to make his way over to the other fight.

Presea put her hand on his shoulder. "No Lloyd, we must stay out of this." she said.

"Huh? But why must we? Clearly he needs us." Lloyd argued.

Genis shook his head. "No Lloyd, don't you see? To Ricky, this is a test of his strength and will. The last few fights we were all in, he'd been knocked out of them." he said.

Colette nodded her agreement. "Other than the fight with Tanul, Ricky's been knocked out somehow. This is his way of proving to himself that he can hold his own when he has to." she said.

Lloyd sighed, knowing they were right. "I guess you guys are right. I suppose he owes to himself…and to her." he said, looking towards Fia. Lloyd was shocked to see that she was awake and watching Ricky's fight intently. "Uh guys? I think Fia's awake now." he said.

Ricky raised Exushia as Dyaos had done with his lance. But this time, a powerful wind began to whip up around him. "Let's see if you can dodge this shall we Dyaos? The might of this wind will knock you out cold…Cyclone Blade!" he cried, swinging his sword in an arc, releasing the powerful winds right at Dyaos.

Dyaos cried out in pain as the attack tore into him. He was lifted up off his feet and thrown into the nearby tree, sustaining heavy damage. "Ugh…you pathetic…you will pay for that!" he said through gritted teeth. He slowly made his way to his feet, and prepared to attack.

A sharp crack of dark energy prevented him from doing so. _"Do not bother finishing this fight Dyaos. I will handle things this time."_ a voice stated. It sounded deep, and very dark.

Lloyd and the others paled, and Fia began shaking. "It's…it's him Ricky. The one who blocked my memory…Ieros." Fia whispered, causing Ricky to whirl around to look at her.

Another sharp crack caused Ricky to turn around again, and he sucked in his breath. "So it's you then…? The one who caused all this in the first place…the Accursed One, Ieros." he breathed.

A figure stood before Ricky in pitch-black robes. His hair was dark red, and waist length. He had a muscular build, and blood-red eyes. The most unique aspect was the constant stream of dark energy surrounding him. Ieros was by no means normal or mortal. His gaze fell upon the Weapons of Eternia that Ricky had, and he growled. "So, you're the one who's to be the thorn in my side this time? Heh, not as many as the first, not that it matters. You can't defeat me at present, since you only have two of the eight Weapons." he sneered.

"Why don't you shut up?" Genis yelled, blasting a Meteor Storm at Ieros.

"Angel Feathers!" Colette cried, attacking as well.

"Fiery Devastation!" Presea cried, attacking with her axe.

"Lightning Thrust!" Lloyd cried, using a Purple Quartz/Sonic Thrust combo.

"Guys no, that won't work!" Ricky yelled, but it was too late.

As all the attacks made to hit Ieros at the same time, he threw up a shield that sent them all back at them. Only they were twice as powerful this time.

"No!" Ricky cried as they were all thrown backwards to the ground. He turned to face Ieros, livid with rage. "You…you will pay for that!" he yelled.

Ieros shrugged. "What do I care? You can't harm me at this time. You're nothing but a bunch of pinpricks, thorns in my side. I'll…what?" he said sharply, for he felt a wave of power coming from Ricky. As Ieros looked on, a blue wave began to surround Ricky. _"What on earth is **this**? How can he have such power?"_ he thought.

Ricky's eyes snapped open, and they were shining with an earthly fire in them. "You'll pay for what you've done. Ancient powers of ice and snow hear my call! Join with the holy light and banish our enemies…Absolute Judgment!" he cried, throwing his hand into the air.

The tell-tale power of Judgment began to rain down upon Ieros, the giant beams of light striking at him. While they didn't seem to do much right now on their own, together they were enough to hurt him somewhat. Along with those, shards of ice and blistering cold snow barreled into Ieros from all sides. Finally, three giant swords struck from the sky and hurtled at Ieros. He was hit with a holy blade, a blade of snow, and a blade of frigid ice.

"What the…?" Lloyd breathed, amazed.

Genis was just lost for words, as were Colette and Presea.

"Impossible…how did he do that?" another voice said. They shot around to see Yuan standing there.

"No time to explain. As soon as it's over, be ready to vanish." he said.

Ieros was thrown into the nearby tree, grunting as he impacted. Immediately, he threw a dark ball of energy at Ricky, knocking him out. "Heh, impressive for such a weak fool. I'll let you all live this time. But cross me again, and you will be destroyed!" he shouted. He turned to the portal that had suddenly appeared.

"My Lord…what about the girl?" Dyaos asked.

Ieros looked at Dyaos. "She is no longer of any use to us. Let her go with her _beloved Ricky_." he said, saying the last two words with venom.

Dyaos nodded and followed Ieros into the portal. It vanished immediately after.

"Ricky? Ricky!" Fia cried, crawling over to where Ricky lay unconscious. She gingerly wrapped her hands around his own. "Will he be ok?" she asked.

Yuan could only nod. "He'll be fine. But I'm curious as to how he managed to use a spell of such power." he stated.

Kuchinawa came over from where he'd been hiding. His mission didn't include fighting, so he'd stayed out of it. "I must report back to the Chief. From what you've told me about Ricky, and what happened here, I don't believe Chief Igaguri is going to allow Sheena to remain a citizen of Mizuho any longer. Farewell." he said, disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Yuan turned back to the others, who were now crowded around Ricky and Fia. "We must leave for the base at once. You all need to get some rest, and have time to heal." he said.

After everyone nodded in agreement, they were gone in a flash of light.

_After they'd returned to the base, Ricky and the others rested for three whole days. On the fourth, they awakened to a new day, and a new beginning for some. For with Fia back among them, Ricky now had to face his past. In the sunset of that night, he would do just that…_

Ricky walked along the silent and slightly darkened halls of the Renegade base. The sun had gone low behind the mountains at this point, and he knew it would be time to turn in soon. _"Fia is back with us now. How could I have known that she wasn't herself at the time? I was such a fool for not seeing the entire picture!"_ he thought fiercely to himself. He punched the nearby wall, ignoring the pain shooting through his arm.

"You shouldn't do that Ricky. It could seriously hurt you." a soft voice said.

He turned around to see Fia standing there behind him. She was wearing the exact same pale green dress that she had worn nearly a year ago. Suffice to say Ricky was at a loss for words.

Fia could see the warring emotions in his eyes, and she couldn't blame him. For so long she'd felt as if he'd betrayed her, when it hadn't been so at all. She'd been brainwashed and manipulated, forgetting everything that they'd shared together. She mentally cursed Ieros for causing the both of them harm. "I guess…there's a lot to say. I just don't know where to begin. All I can really say right now is how sorry I am Ricky." she said, tears welling up in her eyes.

Ricky sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Fia, it's not your fault. You were fooled by Ieros and then brainwashed, and we both fell into the trap he'd set. He must've known who I was, and used you to get to me." he said, his own tears threatening to overtake him.

Fia rushed into Ricky's arms and buried her head in his chest. She let all of her pent up anguish and sadness out at that moment, crying her heart out.

Ricky silently hugged her, hesitantly wrapping his arms around her. He too began to shake, his sobs easily discernable amidst two hearts finally letting their past grief go.

"I'm so sorry this all happened. It's my fault you went through so much Ricky." she said in between sobs.

Ricky tightened his grip on Fia. "No sweetheart, it's not your fault. Ieros used you to get to me, so I'm to blame." he said, before releasing what he'd called her. He stiffened, afraid of what she might say in response.

Fia had not expected Ricky to call her that, and she was indeed surprised. But she also blushed, remembering the times when they would playfully use pet names in a verbal flirt. "It's…ok Ricky. I guess we both made some mistakes back then. But we have a chance to start over, to begin again. Will you allow it?" she asked, hoping against hope that he would.

He thought back to all the times he and Fia had together before that moment. All the good times, the fun they had, even with Chocolat. The few fights that they did have had been about stupid things, and they both quickly realized it and had apologized to one another. Yes, he'd give them another chance. "Of course I will Fia. I'd be a fool not to after all this." he said, looking down and smiling at her warmly.

As she heard him agree, she couldn't help but feel elated about it. Finally, something was going right in their lives. "Thank you…my love." she said softly. She caught Ricky off guard by capturing his lips with her own, letting all of her pent up feelings out in that one kiss.

Ricky was shocked, but he reciprocated the kiss. Wrapping his arms around her, he too let her know just how much he'd missed her. They kissed for sometime, even French kissing (which was a first for both of them) at some points. But even they needed air, so eventually the kiss ended.

Fia sighed contentedly, happy that things were finally looking up for them. She rested her head on his chest. "I'd say we're back together then, don't you?" she asked, smirking.

Ricky started laughing out loud, remembering exactly why she always did that. "You tell me gorgeous. I have the most beautiful girl in the world in my arms." he said, smirking right back at her.

Then Fia suddenly remembered something. "Ricky…what about Chocolat's feelings on this? She might still think I betrayed you." she said meekly.

Ricky pulled her closer, and buried his head in her neck. "She won't Fia, I promise. I'm sure Kratos has told her by now." he said.

Indeed, Ricky was more right than he knew. For at that same moment, Kratos was talking to Ricky's sister about it.

_Miles away in the Triet Inn…_

Chocolat sat at the long table in the dining area. Kratos sat across from her, both were deep in thought. Kratos had told her of what transpired in the Tomb of Ancient Fire, from what Raine and Regal had told him. Then when they discussed Feena's cryptic message, Kratos drew the only conclusion from it that he could.

"So you're telling me…that Fia was brainwashed and controlled by this Ieros?" she asked. She still didn't believe it.

Kratos sighed. "Indeed. This is not the first time I'd heard of Ieros. Mithos once told me a tale about him long ago. He'd said that Ieros was as dark as they come, and even then some. Before Mithos lost his mind, he'd wanted to find the Black Seal Monolith, so that he could destroy Ieros once and for all." he said.

"What happened after that?" she asked.

"Mithos tried to enter the inner sanctum of the Temple of Etherlight, which I'm sure you know of. However, the Guardian Feena stated the he was not permitted to enter. Only when the Sage of Eternia was born would the door open." he said.

Chocolat was surprised by the information. "So the Sage of Eternia is my brother? But how does this fit in with Fia's story?" she asked.

"Ieros was also known for preying on the darkness inside people's hearts. Whether it be loneliness, greed, or anything like that. Fia must've been lonely without Ricky at some point, which gave Ieros the opportunity to brainwash her." he told her.

Chocolat gasped. "Are you saying…that Ieros knew Ricky was the Sage of Eternia? He _used_ Fia to get to my brother?" she asked, finally beginning to see just how much Ricky and Fia had been hurt.

Kratos nodded solemnly. "Indeed, he knew and he used her to get to him. By doing so, he caused the both of them immense pain. This is what I gathered when I first met Ricky. I wasn't sure then if Ieros had been the cause, but now I know without a doubt the he _did_ do it." he said.

Chocolat hung her head. She was ashamed of how she'd treated Ricky after Fia had left. She wondered if her brother ever found out if Fia had been controlled. "Does Ricky…know this?" she asked.

"Yes, he does now. Yuan contacted me moments before I came downstairs. Fia…is with Ricky again." he told her, waiting to see what happened.

On one hand, Chocolat wanted to scream and rage because of the pain Fia had put her brother through. But once she remembered it had been out of their control, she calmed down. Now that she thought about it, she couldn't have found anyone more perfect for her brother. "I'm happy for them. Now at least their lives will be better." she said, meaning every word.

Kratos smiled. "I'm sure Ricky and Fia would be happy to know it." he said.

Chocolat stood up and gave one last look out of the window. "I should be getting to bed now. We'll be getting more customers tomorrow probably so I'll need my rest." she said.

Kratos nodded. "Understood then, I'll be going myself in a little while. Goodnight Chocolat." he said.

The girl nodded as she left and went to her room, which had been built next to Ricky's. When she shut the door, Kratos let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"_They do not know the whole story, her or Yuan. Fia is not who she says she is and Ricky knows this. As do I, but how on earth Yuan hasn't noticed is beyond me."_ Kratos thought as he walked into the spare room in between Ricky and Chocolat's. He lay down in the bed, pondering the big secret he now kept. _"Four thousand years and he only thought about her briefly. I'm sure she knows this. Four thousand years and Mithos never once thought it could be possible. If only he'd known…so much could've been prevented. But things always happen for a reason, just like the joining of human and half-elf has yet again."_ he thought. With those thoughts in mind, Kratos drifted off to sleep.

_The following morning at the Tower Renegade Base…_

Ricky sat up in his bed as he felt the first rays of sunshine hit his face. Yawning, he looked down next to him to see Fia sleeping soundly, her eyes closed and a peaceful smile on her face. "She looks so beautiful." he whispered. Carefully climbing out of bed so as not to wake her, Ricky dressed in his day clothes and went out onto the balcony.

Gazing across the landscape, he saw the ruins of what was once the Tower of Salvation. He thought back to those days before it fell, remembering the chaotic times the once two worlds had endured. "So much has changed since then. So much is still changing even now." he said to no one. Yet the biggest surprise was Fia herself. He had met her in a forest near the Giant Mana Tree, sitting on a piece of fallen wood. She had captivated him then, and he tried to talk to her. For a time she wouldn't say anything to him, as if thinking back on many things. But after a time she began to open up and talk with him. They both found that they liked the others company, so they began a journey together, to find out what had become of the world since the end of the war. At one particular moment, he caught her looking at the Tower of Salvation with glazed over eyes. When he asked her about it, the truth shocked him.

_A year and a half ago, near the Tower of Salvation…_

_Ricky watched Fia as she looked upon the once grand tower, now lying in ruins upon the ground. Her eyes held a glazed look, as if remembering some far off time. He'd never seen her like this before and it worried him. "Fia is something the matter?" he asked, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her._

"_N…no, nothing is wrong. I'm fine Ricky." she said. She left his arms and turned to look at him, her back against a tree. The look she gave him told him she was not ok._

_He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, knowing something was up. "I'm not as foolish as you may think Fia. I saw the look you had in your eyes just now. It's like you remember the tower…only back when it was first made." he said softly._

_Fia gasped in surprise at how near to the truth he was. She looked down to the ground, afraid of what his face might show. "That's because…I do remember that far back. I remember events from four thousand years ago…" she said softly._

"_What…how can that be? Fia, are you saying you're not who I think you are?" he asked. Ricky remembered a story Kratos had once told him and he recalled it now. The girl in the group in particular, who looked just like Fia, almost a twin some would have said. "But if she remembers events from that far back, that would mean…but that's impossible! She can't be alive, Kratos said so himself!" he thought, shock pouring through every fiber of his being._

"_R…Ricky? You know who I truly am now…don't you?" Fia asked, seeing the shock in his eyes. She hesitantly took a step towards him and wrapped her arms around him, burying her head in his chest. When she didn't feel him relax, she knew he was still upset._

_Still in shock, Ricky could not hug Fia back. Or at least, who he had thought was Fia. All along since they first met, she'd not said a word about who she truly was. The biggest part of that shock was not who she really was or her age, but how someone like her could fall for someone like him. "I…Fia…no, that is not your true name. I know the story…Kratos told me everything." he said softly._

_She was shocked this time. How could Kratos have done that? Yet even he thought she was dead, so she couldn't blame him. "Do you care for me any less because of this?" she asked fearfully._

_That one question broke Ricky out of his stupor. He looked down at her with caring eyes, and held her closer to him than he ever had. "Of course it doesn't. I cared about you before I knew, and I still do now. My feelings have not changed. If anything, they have grown stronger by the trust you have in me by telling me the truth." he said, kissing her forehead._

_She sighed and relaxed into his arms. "Then what were you afraid of?" she asked._

"_I wasn't afraid, just puzzled. How…could someone like you like someone like me?" he asked her._

"_Oh Ricky you silly boy, do you really think that _that _matters? Of course it doesn't. What matters is who _you _are, not what stereotype the world has placed on us." she said._

_Ricky smiled at her, and she him. Under the fading light of the sun, the two hearts became as one._

"Are you alright Ricky?" a soft voice asked. He turned around to see Colette standing in the doorway leading back into the base. She looked as if she had just woken up too. By the sound of her voice she hadn't wanted to disturb him.

Ricky only nodded, and turned back to face the ruins. "I'll be fine Colette. But answer this for me…have you felt anything strange about Fia now that you've met her?" he asked.

"Strange? Now that you mention it…she seems familiar to me somehow." she whispered.

A voice cut her off before she could think on it. "That would be because for a time, my soul inhabited your body Colette Brunell." a female voice said.

The two turned around to see Fia looking at them, amusement dancing in her eyes. As she walked over and allowed Ricky to pull her into his arms, she gave Colette a look saying _"I know some of those secret thoughts you've had about Lloyd too."_ before smiling.

"What? But I don't see how you could've. The only person's soul who ever did was…no! You, you're…" she whispered, looking just as shocked as Ricky had when he found out.

"Are you sure it's alright to tell her?" he asked.

Fia nodded in response. "It's fine. She would've found out eventually anyways." she said. Turning to Colette, she nodded. "Yes. I am indeed who you're thinking of. I'm not Fia…but Martel Yggdrasil, the sister of Mithos Yggdrasil." she finished.

_Whoa, total shocker that was. lol I'm sure no one was expecting me to pull a big one out of my hat like that, unless you'd been paying attention to it since the beginning. How Fia looked so much like Martel yet wasn't acting like her normal self. She hid the fact of who she really was from Ricky because she was afraid of what he would say if he found out. But as you can tell, it didn't change anything. As usual, please read and review!_


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